Uganda

The Problem

The HIV epidemic in Uganda is 25 years old and there are now estimated to be over a million adults and 150,000 children living with HIV in the country. In the early 1990s antenatal HIV prevalence peaked at 18% in rural and 25-30% in major urban areas. Since then prevalence has declined and stabilised at around 6-7%, although may be increasing . Men who have sex with men (MSM) are particularly vulnerable and have been victims of extreme violence. Some issues still to address are:

• Young women are four times more likely to be infected with HIV than young men.
• Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reaches only 26% of children who need it.
• MSM are on average 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population.
• Over one million children have lost a mother or father to AIDS.

Our Response

EJAF began funding in Uganda in 1994, providing support to The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), now the largest NGO provider of HIV services. We funded one of the first ART sites, supported a pioneering mobile treatment service for young children and a number of home-based care projects

Our Strategy

EJAF’s recent approach in Uganda is to fund programmes of work that strengthen local or national provision and can be scaled up to address issues:

Support for vulnerable children 

Programmes that address the multiple needs of vulnerable, displaced and street children, including access to healthcare and education, adequate nutrition, shelter and emotional support

 

Addressing the needs of women 

Strategic programmes that aim to decrease the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and to mitigate its impact on them. These include:

 

• Providing integrated services that include sexual reproductive health, HIV testing/treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
• Legal/human rights programmes that empower women infected, affected and at risk of HIV to make informed choices and protect themselves.
• Providing high impact food security and income generation programmes.

 

Support for vulnerable or at risk groups  

Programmes that increase access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care and support services, particularly to refugees/internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, fishing communities and MSM.

 

Organisations/networks of People Living with HIV (PLWH)

Programmes which empower PLWH to play a key role in the development of services, improve their quality of life and exercise self-determination.

1. UNAIDS 2009