Uganda: Newly Diagonised HIV Patients to Start Immediate Treatment
- Author:
- Daily Monitor
According to the current World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health recommended guidelines, whoever tests positive has to wait for his or her CD4 cell count to go below 500 in order to be started on Anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
However, scientists led by Prof Peter Mugyenyi, who also doubles as the head of Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), want every individual put on treatment immediately after they have been confirmed to be HIV positive.
"There is no need to have CD4 cell count tests. If you test somebody and he is HIV positive that day, they must be started on treatment because the benefits are immense," said Prof Mugyenyi at a ceremony held at the weekend to launch the new HIV/Aids therapy (triody pill), which requires a patient to take one pill a day.
By Emmanuel Ainebyoona
