President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 

In 2005, MUWRP expanded its portfolio to include prevention, care, and treatment activities under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

The primary goal of the MUWRP PEPFAR Program is infrastructure and capacity development of local public and private partners in the Kayunga District to ensure quality HIV/AIDS services for communities participating in HIV cohort studies and vaccine research. 

In FY2006 and FY2007MUWRP increased its PEPFAR support to Kayunga District and expanded the number of HIV/ART clinical care sites from one to five. MUWRP assisted the District Health authorities by supporting HIV treatment sites in improving: Laboratory services, infrastructure, counseling, testing, data collection, supplies, training, and with provision of short-term technical staffing.  Also, MUWRP has supported activities that improved the identification and provision of services to the Districts’ population of orphans and vulnerable children. The following are more specific descriptions of MUWRPPEPFAR Program’s activities by program area.

HIV Care and Treatment

In an effort to bring HIV Care and Treatment services closer to individuals, MUWRP expanded the number of District HIV/ART clinic sites from one to five, including a site specifically geared for youth.   Another HIV clinic, at Galilaya Health Center III, serves the fishing communities on the shores of Lake Kyoga, to the North of Kayunga District.  By the end of September 2007, there were 875 patients actively receiving ART in Kayunga District and MUWRP is also supporting 3,371 HIV+ clients receiving palliative care in the District.

MUWRP supports treatment clubs at each of the HIV clinics and supports two civil society organizations which promote Positive Living for HIV+ persons, prevention, training, and offer services for orphans.  During FY06-07 MUWRP developed tools for its District partners for collecting data from patient clinics and service organizations and established a data system which enables the District to plan and report required indicators.  Finally, MUWRP provides support to the District that includes HIV test kits, clinical supplies, trainings for District Health Staff (ART, palliative care, ART logistics management, HIV counseling, HIV nutrition, stigma and discrimination, adherence counseling, preventing HIV related violence in communities, routine counseling and testing, and strategic information) and also provides supportive supervision (doctors, nurses, counselors, and clinical officers). 

MUWRP PEPFAR Program also supports a tracing program of ART eligible patients who never successfully started ART or were lost to follow-up. Data suggests that both the tracing program and the expansion of ART clinic sites contributed to recapturing some of the patients who were unable to successfully start ART. 

MUWRP is also renovating the Bbaale, Kayunga District Hospital, and Galilaya HIV Clinics. This will provide more counseling and clinic rooms; improve patient flow, confidentiality, and patient waiting time.

Laboratory

In order to promote self-sufficiency for the District in terms of HIV laboratory monitoring, MUWRP renovated and equipped the Kayunga District Hospital laboratory.  Starting in October 2007, this renovated laboratory began processing all District HIV samples, including hematology, chemistry, CD4s and syphilis tests.  Since April 2005, MUWRP has sustained all District HIV clinics by providing laboratory support.

Orphans and Vulnerable Children

MUWRP also supports activities that improve the identification and provision of care and treatment services to the Districts’ population of orphans and vulnerable children. Toward this aim, MUWRP supports a mobile clinical/counseling follow-up program which provides community based outreach, support, clinical care and training for Kayunga District’s OVC’s, their families, and the community.  Currently, this OVC program provides comprehensive services to 289 HIV+ pediatrics and their families.  During 2006-07, this program successfully conducted 24 community sensitizations in the District to promote HIV education and treatment as well as to combat HIV stigma and discrimination.  Finally, in July of 2007, MUWRP officials and OVC partner organizations held a needs consultation with more than 100 caregivers of HIV orphans in order to determine gaps that could be supported by the MUWRP PEPFAR program. 

Youth

In March 2006, the Kayunga District Youth Recreational Center opened as a joint effort between MUWRP and the Kayunga District Health Authorities.  The aim of this facility is to build District capacity in identifying and providing HIV prevention, care and treatment services to the youth population of Kayunga Districts.  Youth are largely absent from clinics that offer conventional prevention, care and treatment.  This Center provides youth with daily counseling (including ART) and recreational services in a manner which is specifically geared toward persons between the ages of 12-25.   Furthermore, the Center’s vibrant community-based activities include district-wide youth outreach and mobile VCT to schools and other appropriate venues with emphasis on reaching OVC’s and un-tested youths.

HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services

Voluntary Counseling and Testing services are being enhanced in 2007 as part of MUWRP’s expansion in 2007. All Kayunga District Hospital health care providers have been trained in Routine Testing and Counseling (RTC), RTC is now available at four of the Districts’ HIV clinics.  This program heavily focuses on strengthening the linkages to HIV clinics, especially to mothers who test HIV positive through PMTCT programs and to T.B Patients.  A house-to-house VCT program for the entire Kayunga District will be implemented in 2008.

Prevention

As part of the expansion of the MUWRP PEPFAR Program in 2007, a formal HIV Prevention Program was introduced which provides District-wide HIV prevention activities and coordination.  District residents are routinely exposed to HIV prevention issues, messages, services, and training pertaining to: ART adherence, sexual and non-sexual HIV transmission, ABC prevention messages, post exposure prophylaxis, positive living, couples counseling, family planning services, stigma and discrimination, IEC materials, condom use, HIV violence and gender issues, tradition male norm issues, the availability/importance of ART, location of nearest HIV clinics, and pediatric HIV issues.  These messages and services are especially provided to underserved/at-risk communities, such as youth and fishing villages.