The Uganda AIDS Commission is under fire after failing to justify why critical anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs are not reaching patients across the country. In a heated session on Wednesday, Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) demanded urgent answers.
The Commission appeared before COSASE to respond to findings in the Auditor General’s 2024/2025 report.
But the absence of Director General and Accounting Officer Dr Nelson Musoba sparked immediate backlash from lawmakers. Despite objections, the committee agreed to proceed—guided by legal advice.
What followed was a grilling that exposed serious cracks in the Commission’s operations.
Officials blamed the delivery delays on a lack of fuel. They claimed they lacked the funds to transport the life-saving ARVs to health facilities nationwide. The excuse did not sit well with MPs.
“How does a national health agency lack fuel to deliver medicine? Where are our priorities as a country?” one legislator asked sharply.
The revelation drew scorn across the political divide. Parliament’s summary of observations noted that the explanation angered lawmakers and raised deeper concerns about public health planning.
Even more troubling was the Commission’s failure to meet its Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) target. For the 2023/2024 financial year, it collected just Shs700,000—far below its Shs45 million target.
This left a revenue shortfall of over Shs44 million. The figure, MPs argued, points to gross inefficiencies and poor financial oversight.
In response, Commission officials insisted that Uganda has sufficient ARV stockpiles in central storage. But COSASE was quick to warn that stock without transport means nothing for patients who rely on timely medication.
“Drugs in warehouses don’t save lives. They must reach the people,” said another MP.
The committee called on the Commission to overhaul its logistics systems immediately. Members urged officials to prioritise operational planning, especially in distributing ARVs to rural and hard-to-reach areas where delays could prove deadly.
The Uganda AIDS Commission, established in 1992 and operating under the Office of the President, plays a vital role in coordinating the national HIV response.
Its mandate includes policy formulation, resource mobilisation, and ensuring effective delivery of HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.
But as scrutiny mounts, Parliament is demanding accountability and reform. Lawmakers insist that a failure to distribute ARVs due to something as basic as fuel is unacceptable and undermines decades of hard-won progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Public health experts say the situation is a wake-up call—not just for the Commission, but for the government as a whole.
“The HIV fight can’t be sustained on promises. It requires planning, funding, and execution,” one expert noted.
Unless urgent steps are taken, Uganda risks a reversal in its gains against HIV—simply because the system failed to deliver drugs already in hand.
