HIV DRUGS IN MEAT: Shock as ARVs are Found in Ugandan Chicken, Pork

Poultry and piggery industry players are in panic after researchers discovered worrying traces of antiretroviral treatment drugs (ARVs) in chicken meat and pork sampled.

A study by Makerere University indicated that poultry farmers were including ARVs in poultry feeds as a way of boosting weight gain in chicken.

The researchers found traces of drugs such as Efavirenz Nevirapine and Tenofovir in sampled chicken products, a significant number from the district of Wakiso.

The shocking revelation once again reignites the debate on safety of food products in the country’s markets with a number said to carry toxic substances due to poor farming practices and post harvest handling.

Although the recent study by Makerere University researchers did not touch on pigs and the quality of pork, previous studies have raised a red flag.

Between 2019 and 2021, Makerere University researchers conducted studies on farms and abbatoirs in 11 districts, confirming traces of ARVs in both chicken meat and pork.

Although follow-up studies that have continued to be conducted have pointed to a wider problem of contamination with ARVs, authorities in Kampala seem to be sleeping on the job.

Only the Poultry Association of Uganda, whose chairperson is Aga Sekalala Junior, seems to be interested in the matter, perhaps because it directly affects their farming business. 

Towards the end of last month, Sekalala Junior and his association wrote to Makerere University researchers seeking more information on the study findings.

The association also wants a comprehensive study to establish how widespread the problem is — besides Wakiso where the recent study that has left Ugandans worried and panicking. 

The poultry farmers under the association argue that the sample on which the findings were based could have been drawn from small scale farmers who largely sell to markets on roadsides.

Sekalala Junior has also expressed his association’s commitment to conducting checks so as to come up with reliable facts on the matter with the view of prioritizing the quality and safety of products on the market.

He also pledged to use the association to train farmers who subscribe to the association on best farming practices so as to reduce unethical practices. 

The association has also expressed willingness to work with regulatory authorities to ensure that all farmers comply with the laws and policies meant to ensure quality and safety.

But until then, the worry that the chicken meat or even that pork kikalaayi on your table could have been hewed from animals that were fed on ARVS.

This is not the first time the authorities are doing little or nothing to protect Ugandans from harmful foods and drugs on the market. A Chinese contraceptive pill was months ago banned for its side effects, including its ability to cause cancer, while a ‘doctor’ was arrested for claiming to cure HIV/AIDS with medicine made from onions. (See Details Here and There).

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