This project primarily targets 34,368 MARPS (Female Sex Workers, Men who have sex with Men, Long Distance Truck Drivers, fisher folks, Uniformed services (Security Guards)) and other high risk groups (boda boda cyclists and Market vendors) in Uganda. The project aims at scaling comprehensive HIV and AIDS services among Most At Risk Persons through effective engagement of the local leaders to reduce the risk of HIV infection and mitigate its impact among the Most at risk populations (MARPS).
Whereas urban areas constitute the highest numbers of MARPS as well the highest HIV prevalence in the country, access to comprehensive HIV and AIDS care, support, prevention and treatment services by MARPS remain a very big challenge. The MoT (2008) report shows that the average incidence among 13 MARPS groups was 7.7% of the total incidence in the population. The HIV prevalence in urban areas is higher (8.3%) compared to the national average of 7.3% among adults aged 15-49 (UAIS, 2011).
RIDE AFRICA intends to increase adoption of safer sexual behaviour; scale up coverage of comprehensive HIV and AIDS services among the MARPS; strengthen the capacity of RIDE AFRICA, FORT PORTAL, other targeted urban authorities, strengthen M&E, coordination and referral linkages, and generate contemporary knowledge, lessons and good practices to enhance learning as well as evidence based programming. These interventions are expected to contribute towards a strengthened HIV and MARPS responses.
Direct beneficiaries will be Female Sex Workers 5,913, MSMs (591), Long Distance Truck Drivers (1,142), Fisher Folks (2,850), Private Security Guards-PSGs(2,032), Boda boda Cyclists (11,640), Market Vendors (4,200), General populations (6000) Despite the previous efforts to provide HCT services in Uganda, the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan indicates that over 70% of people infected with HIV in Uganda do not know their HIV status which additionally the project will solve.
This project has provided additional documentation in a XLSX file (projdoc.xlsx).
