UGX45bn spent on printing ballot papers abroad when there is drug shortage in Uganda

On January 28, 2016, Uganda’s Electoral Commission received about 16 million ballot papers for next month’s presidential election. 

The total cost of printing ballots is estimated at UGX45bn approximately US$12,949,650. This is a lot of money which could have been used to cover part of drug supply gap, had the government used local machinery to printed ballot papers in country. The Global Fund has 

The Executive Director of Uganda Electoral Commission, Dr. Badru Kiggundu blames the huge cost on distrust, arguing that this was denying the country’s elections body a chance to develop capacity as the case is in other countries.

The consignment, aboard Ethiopian Airlines, was delivered at the Entebbe International Airport and witnessed by the polling body’s officials, election observers and political party representatives.

Weighing about 67 tonnes (67,000Kgs), the ballots have been printed by South African company Pal Media Pty. The elections body boss, Dr Badru Kiggundu, said the company, although it had not previously printed for Uganda’s polls, had capacity because it had printed ballots for other countries.

UK firm TALL Security Print will soon deliver ballots for sub-county chairpersons and sub-county directly-elected councilors; UAE’s Ms Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing House for district chairpersons, district directly-elected councilors and sub-county women councilors while local printer Picfare Industries will deliver ballots for municipality mayors, municipality councilors and special interest group councilors.

Uganda facing HIV drugs shortage

Uganda is facing a shortage of essential drugs in Government health facilities, according to the latest report, “Stock status report as at 1st October 2015,” by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Pharmacy division.

The report shows most of essential medicines such as reproductive health commodities, TB drugs, Antiretroviral medicines, anti-malarial medicines, vaccines like polio oral trivalent, measles, hepatitis B and BCG vaccines that treat common diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and opportunistic infections, diarrhoea, TB, diabetes and hypertension are not readily available. 

The supply gap for adult antiretroviral therapy is US $ 47,425,412, Equivalent to 163,617,671,400 Uganda shillings.

According to the Uganda Network of AIDS Service Organisations about 240,000 patients on publicly funded treatment programs are at risk because of the shortage, forcing them to take lower dosages or none at all.

Some activists said they were concerned the government was spending too much on measures designed to help them win presidential and parliamentary elections in February rather than on medicines. Officials denied the charge.

In Uganda about 1.5 million people, or about 4 percent of the population, is living with the HIV virus, of which about 820,000 receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs that help prevent the infection turning into full-blown AIDS.

"We're preparing to secure a loan of $200 million and we hope that will be able to plug the funding gap," Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi told Reuters, denying the state was neglecting HIV victims.

Global Fund rushes HIV drugs to Uganda amid shortage

The Global Fund, a partnership that sends HIV drugs to poor countries, says it plans to send an advance supply of antiretroviral therapy to Uganda, after the East African country ran out three months before the end of last year.

"The Global Fund has already delivered shipments of drugs as scheduled for existing patients and is front-loading an additional 12-month supply of drugs," Seth Faison, the Fund's head of communications, said in an email response to questions.

"The first consignment of the 12-month front-load will arrive next month, he said. But he acknowledged that front-loading the delivery of drugs, while not increasing the total amount of drugs it sends, was a "short-term solution."

#UgandaDecides.