HIV/AIDS Commission says lack of transport means hinders dissemination of information on HIV, to the local population in Eastern Equatoria State.
Peter Lokale Nakimangole is the Chairperson for HIV/AIDS Commission in the State.
He says his office is unable to reach parts of the state, due to transport challenge.
He appeals to the state government and relevant partners to support and allocate a budget to the commission to facilitate its activities.
“We are lacking mobility to move to counties to deliver the message, even to do mapping, to do fact finding about the facility that we have in the counties is a big challenge, our request we need a car at least to take us so that we embark on an awareness campaign”. I want to draw our attention to the fact that we need to work hard as partners and the government to fight this disease, even the commission we have challenges to inform the people to create awareness. What is much more important is creation of awareness. We need to increase the funding, we are lacking the funds, the cash, the materials, the logistic support, even capacity building for our staff. We need to reach out to our people on the ground there.
Governor’s Adviser on Peace and Security in Eastern Equatoria State, Matthew Tombe Nehemiah, responds that the transport issue affects service delivery to the people.
He was speaking on behave of the State Governor, Louis Lobong Lojore.
“We are going to work hard with the minister of Health and the commission of HIV to make sure they recruit a lot of HIV agents in all the counties at the Boma level to improve the services of the people of EES”.
Meanwhile, State Minister of Health, Lodae Pasuale, says the State has put up some plans, to improve service delivery on HIV/AIDs to the people at all level.
“We are going to pass out a law at the State level within this first month of the year 2022 so that every clinic will be eligible to deliver these services in the State or at every level of the community. We will empower the clinic with the drugs, reporting tools and monitoring strategies that should be used as a way for the commission and the Ministry of Health itself to do one which is to be done for efficient flow and delivering of services to the people who live with HIV”.
ICAP organization supporting the HIV and TB program across the State reported that, around four thousand and four hundred forty three people in Eastern Equatoria State, were under ARVs.