Uganda
By 1993, Uganda had the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Although it has made remarkable progress in reducing its HIV infection rates in both rural and urban areas since then, HIV/AIDS still remains a major development challenge. With approximately 1 million people living with HIV the current adult HIV prevalence of 6.7 % remains unacceptably high. The high HIV-discordance rates among married or cohabiting partners are of particular concern.
Continuing challenges include sustaining the involvement of political leaders at all levels of public administration; strengthening management capacities, particularly at the local level, in order to maintain an effective response to HIV/AIDS and minimizing the social and economic impact of the epidemic on households, communities and services. Realizing the close link between HIV/AIDS and governance, the Uganda AIDS Commission has put in place a Leadership Mobilization Strategy to ensure full involvement of leaders at all levels in HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities.
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Total Population: 28, 816,000 (2006)
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In 2001, a Plan of Action was developed for the AMICAALL Uganda Programme, and activities initiated with support from UNDP. A workshop to develop community-response proposals was conducted in early 2003 with 10 municipalities/divisions. A constitution was developed for the AMICAALL Programme, which was approved by mayors convened at a General Assembly. More recently, AMICAALL Uganda developed a five-year Strategic Plan of Action (2006-2010) to guide planning and programming of HIV activities in urban authorities throughout the country. During 2005, with the support of UNDP, a community-based HIV project was initiated in Kitgum. AMICAALL Uganda initiated an HIV/AIDS Urban Workplace Programme, and the development of policy guidelines, with support from UNAIDS and UNDP, and the collaboration of local partners. Through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), AMICAALL Uganda also received funding to support a Strengthening Urban Community Interventions for Orphans and Vulnerable Children project, which focuses on the technical quality of a continuum of services provided to these children and the community response for their care and support, as well as standards to improve their quality of life. This project is being implemented in four sites of Kampala, targeting support for approximately 1000 orphaned children. To mark World AIDS Day, in December 2005, AMICAALL Uganda, in collaboration with UNDP Uganda, the Kitgum City Council and all districts in northern Uganda, brought together national and international partners in the country to focus attention on HIV in the northern region. Years of prolonged insurgency have fuelled the spread of HIV. Prevalence rates are as high as 10%-16% in this area. Prior to this event, AMICAALL Uganda had already initiated several activities in Kitgum, including: the organisation of sensitisation seminars on Voluntary Counseling and Testing and the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and distribution of food supplements to people living with HIV, and those taking anti-retroviral drugs. |
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AMICAALL Uganda has received support for programme activities from a wide range of partners, such as UNDP, UNAIDS, UN APP, USAID and FCM and others. Some highlights include:
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