Prevent HIV infections to children in Uganda

Summary of project activities

With financial support we receive from development partners through Global Giving, KADO is offering free HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) to pregnant mothers and thereafter, giving the victims ARVs and linking them for care. This quarterly report clearly demonstrate the progress for the period between March and June, 2017. From March to date we have tested a total number of 90 pregnant mothers and linked 21 of them to different HCIIIs for treatment and special care. The Achievements and challenge here is that most women have poor or negative attitude towards voluntary testing, however, KADO has addressed this by massive sensitization campaigns through community dialogue, drama shows, and radio talk shows among others. Project activities includes; monitoring and evaluation, facilitate transportation of blood samples for CD4 Count, Community mobilization and sensitization on PMTCT, contribution to health workers welfare, procure medical drugs and sundries and testing kits and procure mama kits and dissemination to mothers during their labor periods and delivery coaches.

Current Status of prevention of HIV infection in children in Uganda  

EMTCT services are still very poor in the community because there is limited male involvement during antenatal and maternity visits. Supply of MAMA kits and gloves among others is inadequate in public health facilities and are quite expensive for mothers in private health faculties. In addition, mothers still deliver in the villages by traditional birth attendants and are exposed to HIV/AIDS.

In the last quarter, the organization managed to implement the following;

1. Provided health education to 5 HIV positive women on family planning services
2. Tested 108 mothers for HIV during antenatal visits
3. 108 mothers attended antenatal visits
4. 56 male spouses tested for HIV/AIDS with their female spouses
5. 80 women tested for HIV/AIDS during their labor periods
6. 43 pregnant mothers had safe delivery in the KADO health center III
7. 39 mothers attended postnatal care.
8. 43 mothers received mama kits.

 Challenges

The under listed challenges still exist and need to be solved in order to realize the project outcomes and impact:

1. Limited financial resources. KADO is a donor dependent organization and realizes limited profit from its income generating activities. Inadequate money to procure MAMA kits for mothers during their labor period.
2. Poor attitude of the community leaders. Local leaders are silent on dissemination of EMTCT messages in public places. They think it is a preserve for health workers.  
3. Low male involvement in EMTCT. Due to lack of community awareness, male involvement in supporting their spouses for antenatal visits is limited. This gives chance for rural women to seek antenatal services from traditional and unprofessional health workers.
4. Inadequate of HIV testing kits and sundries. Some time we run shortage of testing kits.

Recommendation

All stake holders are requested to provide support to save the children in Uganda. Children being the tomorrows’ leaders.

Testimony from one beneficiary

This is testimony of Christine, HIV positive and a mother of four children. Christine lost her husband in April 1981 who succumbed to HIV/AIDS. During antenatal visit of Christine to our health centre, she was tested HIV/AIDS positive. Christine was so worried, the workers at the health centre counseled her and she was enrolled on ART for care.

Through a lot of counseling and routine home visit to Polly by our health staff, she lost stigma and now she is living positively. We are very happy that she is reporting for antennal care on the days given to her by the health workers. The team promises Polly to produce a child free from HIV/AIDS.