The US Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah. R. Malac today commissioned the renovated Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB) ward at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.
The renovation, with support from the US government, cost about 250 million Shillings.
According to the Global Tuberculosis report 2014, Uganda is one of the seven out of 22 countries that met the entire millennium development target for TB.
The ministry of health has however said that there is a significant increase in the number of drug resistant TB (DR TB) thus the need for improved access to TB diagnostic facilities in the public health facilities.
Multi drug resistant TB comes as a result of a TB patient not adhering to medication while susceptible TB is when one is infected by the disease.
Ambassador Malac acknowledged that Uganda and the World still faces challenges in the fight against TB.
Malac said a single patient of MDR TB is 100 times more expensive to treat than susceptible TB.
Dr Nathan Onyaci, the Director Gulu Regional Referral Hospital thanked the US government for the support to the hospital and pledged to work with his team at the hospital in the treatment of TB patients.
Sharon Amony 36, and a mother of seven testified that she was once a MDR TB patient. Amony who was pregnant and HIV positive testified that she got cured off MDR at Gulu hospital, gave birth and is now living a normal life.
Dr Onyaci said Sharon is a testimony that MDR-TB is curable and urged medics to continue with treatment of patients.
Money from US government has also been used to support seven regional referral hospitals in the country.