On Tuesday the Health Minister Sarah Opendi while responding to a query about the shortage of Anti-Retroviral drugs in Kyotera district, revealed she had information that the medicine was being used as a food supplement for pigs and chickens. These life-prolonging drugs are used to treat HIV & AIDS patients. “I have information that they are collecting Anti-Retroviral drugs and giving these drugs to pigs and chicken which is very unfortunate. This information has come through so we want to condemn this.” Said, Sarah Opendi – State Minister of Health for General Duties.
Dr. Sylvia Baluka the President of the Uganda Veterinary Association explained why some farmers have taken to this dangerous trend. She said that when they first got the report a few years back, they conducted a research in Northern Uganda. Dr. Baluka said farmers giving their livestock ARVs want them to grow faster and fatter. “Acknowledgement makes some people to believe that if ARVs can make someone who is sick, who would have looked like my relative who died many years ago in the 80s and 90s, who looked so sick and so emaciated can make such a person look this nice then probably they could have the same value in animals.” Said, Dr. Sylvia Baluka – President, Uganda Veterinary Association.
The doctor said humans who eat the meat of animals fed with ARVs run the risk of developing liver damage and other diseases. “But what we know is that every chemical we take into our bodies like drugs it goes to the liver which is a major metabolic organ. And if we are taking in toxins definitely they are acting on our liver. And over time the liver could actually get exhausted and these effects will show over time.” She also warned that these breeds are resistant to germs in animals that in turn leads to a low response to treatment in the human body when treating other diseases. “Whatever you give to chicken whether antibiotics, tetracycline or penicillin whatever drugs we give to a chicken or a pig they are capable of having an effect on a human being if the guidelines are not followed and if the withdraw period is not observed.” NTV spoke to people in the business of selling pork and to the consumers who were not aware that farmers were mixing the feeds with ARVs. “I have reared pigs for a long time but I have never witnessed the use of ARVs, why would someone do such a thing?” “It is not true, they are trying to discourage our buyers.” Dr. Baluka said this practice has also led to the rise of non-communicable diseases.
