Uganda’s flagship agencies for its HIV/AIDS initiatives need 300-billion shillings ($82-million) in extra funding to narrow a gap created after the US froze foreign assistance.

Uganda AIDS Commission and AHF Uganda Cares require the funds to ensure uninterrupted access to treatment, laboratory monitoring and essential services in managing the virus, the Kampala-based parliament said, citing UAC Planning Director Vincent Bagambe.

The US State Department on January 24 froze most foreign assistance and paused any new aid. The department says it provided $417-million to Uganda’s health sector in the year through June, helping to treat 1.2-million patients in the country.

The East African country spends at least 1.9-trillion shillings annually on HIV services, with 60% of this funding coming from donors, especially the US through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or Pepfar, its parliament said.

In a February 6 clarification, the State Department issued a limited waiver on the aid freeze, saying Pepfar-supported “life-saving HIV care” and prevention of mother-to-child transmission should resume as soon as possible.

The country is “at a critical juncture,” and the sudden funding cuts could jeopardize the gains it has made in reducing new infections and controlling AIDS-related deaths, Bagambe said.

“If we do not act swiftly, we risk a crisis where thousands of people living with HIV may not receive their medication, increasing chances of drug resistance and new infections,” he said.

Uganda has about 1.5-million people living with HIV, with a prevalence rate of 5.1%, according to the Uganda AIDS Commission.