PACE is keen on reducing the number of new infections of HIV in Uganda. In 2014/15, there were 84000 new infections of HIV, down from 91000 new infections from the previous year. While we are moving in the right direction, there is a lot more that Uganda needs to do to significantly reduce the number of new HIV infections as years go by. We are focused and committed towards Uganda’s achieving this goal.
Project Name: Accelerate Epidemic Control
Funder: Centre for Disease Control- CDC through MildMay Uganda
Project Duration: 2017/2022
Background of the Project
Mildmay Uganda (Mug) in Partnership with Program for Accessible Health communication and Education (PACE) is implementing a 5-year CDC funded Project with main objective of Accelerating HIV Epidemic Control in the Mubende region. PACE Uganda’s focus is on Linkage and retention of PLHIV within the Region guided by two objectives: Objective 1- Design and implement strategies aimed at increasing linkages of newly identified positive clients not linked to ART and ensure 95% linkage to ART. Objective 2 – Contribute to 95% retention of Clients tracking and returning the missed appointments and lost to up from all facilities for HIV/TB maintenance in clinic.Read More
Program for Accessible Health and Communication (PACE) signed a new grant with TASO – Global Fund HIV/TB (NFM3) in May 2021 that will run up to December 2023.
The grant is aligned to the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2020/2021–2024/2025 to increase productivity, inclusiveness, and well-being of the population by ending HIV and AIDS as an epidemic by 2030 with the following objectives:
Global Fund HIV Project (2018-2020)
PACE as a sub-recipient of TASO, is implementing the Global Fund HIV project in 16 districts of Northern and Eastern Uganda ((Kole, Dokolo, Kitgum, Kaberamaido, Mbale, Bukwo, Tororo, Soroti and Serere. The current Global HIV grant to support implementation of HIV-TB activities is in line with the National HIV Strategic Plan 2015/16-2019/20. The project is aimed at enrolling the most vulnerable AGYWs into prevention campaigns addressing teenage pregnancies & early marriage and other risky sexual behavior, as well as into vocational training institutions/ second chance, providing HTS, linkage and support for retention in care for positive AGYWs, psychosocial support to teenage mothers, Gender based violence care and economic development activities. Innovation activities like netball and drama group sessions are being used to mobilise girls for HIV prevention activities.
The objectives of the grant include the following;
To reduce the number of new youth and adult infections by 70% and number of new pediatric HIV infections by 95% by 2020;
To decrease HIV associated morbidity and mortality by70% through achieving and maintaining 90% viral suppression by 2020;
To reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and mitigation of its impact on PLHIV and other vulnerable groups; and
To reduce the HIV incidence by 5% by 2019/20: from 234/100,000 in 2015/16 to 222.3/100,000 by 2019/20.
The PACE Global Fund HIV team is implementing the following activities;
Project Name: DREAMS Initiative and HIV Prevention Support to the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces.
Funder: US Department of Defence (USDOD)
Project Duration: October 2016 to September 2020
PACE in collaboration with the UPDF Directorate of HIV and AIDS, the Medical Services and Education Chieftaincies, Medical Logistics and Social Welfare Directorates, the Spouses’ Desk in the Political Commiserate of the UPDF, district local governments, community-based organizations (CBOs) have been implementing a 4 year DREAMS Initiative and HIV/AIDS Prevention Support Program to the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces and Adolescent Girl and Young Women (AGYW).
The HIV epidemic impacts the UPDF’s ability to carry out its constitutional mandate by affecting its professionalization process and combat readiness as well as requiring a high cost of care to the infected and their families and a high replacement costs for the dead. And yet again, in communities where UPDF bases operate, Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) are also at particular risk of HIV infection. The project therefore, aimed at Reducing the number of new HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among members of the UPDF, their families, and the civilian communities surrounding military bases by September 202 and Reducing HIV incidence among AGYW by 40%.
Project Coverage: 28 Military bases across the country in the distriscts of Kampala, Wakiso,Luwero, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Masindi, Arua, Gulu, Pader, Lira, Moroto, Kotido, Nakapiripirit, Mbale, Tororo, Mayuge, Jinja, Masaka,Mbarara, Ibanda, Kanungu, Kasese, Kabarole, Bundibugyo and Mubende.
Target group: Ugandan Military and their dependants; Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) aged between 10-24 years. Read More
PACE’s Community Driven Response (CDR) project run from 2011 to 2015 aimed at reducing the rate of HIV infections among Ugandans by promoting HIV prevention approaches. CDR employed MoH’s National HIV Prevention Strategy that combines service provision alongside addressing the socio-cultural behavioral issues facilitating the spread of HIV.
CDR had specific focus on vulnerable groups of people: female sex workers and their clients, uniform service personnel, pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS, prison inmates, long distance truck drivers, among others. CDR had notable success in the 17 districts in which it has been implemented, including Iganga, Jinja, Masaka, Lwengo, Oyam, Alebtong, Busia and Kabarole.
Partners in implementation: The program also supported 27 Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and 6 sub-grantee CSOs to manage and implement HIV programs in the 17 districts. This support focused on both technical (financial management and M&E) and organizational management; monitoring expenditure for stipulated activities under the memoranda of understanding (MoU); supporting overall implementation and reporting.
The CBOs and CSOs facilitated the training of VHTs to carry out community mobilization, education of people about prevention of HIV/AIDS, testing, treatment and link them with various health facilities that offer these services, and were followed up through the existing referral system. Condom distribution in hot spots and demand generation for condoms was also done through VHTs.
PACE, in partnership with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Uganda and the Ministry of Health (MoH) implemented the Positive Living Project (PLP) from 2010 to 2016. The project was funded by US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through CDC
Project goal: Improving the health status of people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda through provision of the Basic Care Package (BCP) and promoting a Positive Living Lifestyle (PLL). The project used simple tools to empower PLHIV to avert opportunistic infections, delay progression of HIV and prevent transmission.
Coverage: The project was implemented in 440 facilities public facilities in 105 districts working with the districts, PLHIVs, and the MOH-VHT members. PACE delivered the BasCP kits and refills for the kits to the public facilities which thereafter distributed the kits to PLHIV at the health facilities, and at their homes through peer educators and VHTs.