Mike Elvis Tusubira, a Ugandan taxi driver, has been living with HIV since 2022, when he tested positive.
For him, the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, has been a boon to the 1.4 million people living with HIV in Uganda. He said that over the next three months, “it will be a matter of life and death”.
“The suspension of all USAID activities has affected me deeply. I don’t know what to do next. What will happen to me?” he said.
“My doctor told me he left the hospital I was going to. What will happen to my child and my partner?”
I’m worried about my future. And there’s no future in reality. Because there are no shelters, no medicine, no condoms, nothing.”
A test showed Mike’s wife was HIV-negative – and she was taking a medication that reduced the risk of contracting the virus.
Since the USAID project was suspended, he and his partner have not been able to access the same medical care they used to. The uncertainty has caused their relationship to start to suffer.
Uganda is among the top ten countries in Africa to receive USAID funding. According to U.S. government data, the country received $295 million in health assistance from the agency in fiscal year 2023—third behind Tanzania, which received $337 million, and Nigeria, which received $368 million.
The health sector in Uganda is highly dependent on aid provided to the country.
USAID supports the country’s health programs, including HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and leprosy. It also supports women’s and children’s health programs and emergency health assistance.
