The National Drug Authority confirmed Thursday morning that there are antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in chicken and pork feeds in Uganda, raising serious concerns among consumers.
This came after the Poultry Association of Uganda (PAU) claimed that chicken laced with antiretroviral (ARVs) was on the market.
According to NDA, it learnt of the recent studies relating to contamination of animal feeds products like chicken and pork, from media publications.
The authority also revealed that it knew about the use of ARVS in livestock but the matter was not made public for fear of raising alarm and impacting Uganda's animal exports abroad.
“Since such reports concern the misuse of drugs, NDA conducted investigations and a scientific review and determined that the reported levels were very low to cause unnecessary public alarm,” reads part of the statement by NDA
It is said that interventions were also undertaken including enforcement operations to curb the sources of the ARVS and other drugs that are being misused in animals and such operations have led to several arrests and prosecution of the culprits.
The use of ARVS in chicken to stimulate weight gain is not only unethical, but also scientifically questionable, as it poses significant public health risks, according to the poultry association.