Fighting TB and HIV Co-infection

HIV prevalence among TB patients has been estimated to be as high as 80%-90% in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa and high case-fatality rates are seen among tuberculosis (TB) patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, especially during the early months of TB treatment.

AIC has continued to contribute to strengthening and expanding screening, diagnosis and treatment for active and latent TB among HIV positive clients. During the period of April to June AIC focused on prevention services including HCT in the communities by using finger prick testing (FPT) in outreaches and supported health facilities instead of venous blood testing. AIC received FPT results from 44 sites offering finger prick testing to patients seen in TB clinics. A total of 60,997 clients were tested for HIV using the FPT of which 9,798 came from sites and 51,199 were from outreaches conducted by AIC.

Outreaches were found to reach more clients for HCT which contributes to exceeding targets. A total of 540 TB patients were counseled and tested for HIV. Similarly 3054 HIV positive clients were screened for TB and 295 were found to be HIV TB co-infected. During this period 295 of the 540 of the TB clients counseled and tested were found to be HIV positive. This is much higher than the WHO estimate of 39%. Attaining such high numbers is facilitated by the improved recording and reporting of TB clients as a result of AIC’s rolling out the usage of Pre –ART registers in the TB/HIV supported sites. All the patients co-infected with TB and HIV (295) had their CD4 count tests done and 74 were found with CD4 cells less than 350 and were subsequently referred for ART. Providing HCT to TB patients will help in early detection of HIV among this category of people which is anticipated to lead to early linkage into care. Early initiation of HIV care contributes to reduced morbidity and mortality thereby improving the quality of life of these individuals.

He tested for HIV, denied results but later united with the wife

In June 2010, a couple HCT (CHCT) outreach activity was conducted in Ochapa trading centre, Serere district. The outreach coincided with a market day and as a result, the turn-up was high.

As the AIDS Information Centre team of service providers was conducting the HIV Counselling and Testing outreach, a 58 years old gentleman called James Ajena made a decision to make use of the free HCT services by taking an HIV test. He later disclosed to Counselor that he is a water vendor in the main market in Soroti town and that his home is in Kikinjaji-East Cell although his rural home is in Ajeru Village, Obule Parish in Tubur Sub-county, Soroti district. Married to Lucy Atekit (50 years old), James and Lucy had seperated six months ago.

James was counseled and tested for HIV and given HIV negative results. After receiving the results, the Counselor observed that James was not contented with the results. On realizing this, the counselor probed further to find out whether the client had understood results and his reply was,” yes, I understood but you are deceiving me, please tell me the truth”.

He was then asked why he was denying the results. James explained that he had tested HIV positive from a health centre in Soroti. When he disclosed the results to his wife, she immediately separated from him because she had earlier on tested HIV negative. The counselor went ahead to explain to James why this can happen. He further explained to him that tests done by AIC are done by skilled and experienced technical staff to ensure a high level of accuracy. The counselor suggested a repeat test to be done which James accepted. The test result once again turned out to be HIV negative. James was so pleased with the outcome. The counselor helped James to disclosure his HIV status to the wife.

The Counselor kept in touch with him and after one week he came back with his wife to AIC Soroti branch for couple testing as he had promised and both of them were counseled, tested and received results as a couple. The HIV results were all negative.

The couple counseling and testing helped them to re-unite as husband and wife and they are now happily living together as a family of eight people.

A month later, they came back to re-test and still they tested HIV negative and this left the couple very happy and decided to join a post test club and couple club at AIC Soroti branch. Today James calls himself an AIC ambassador in his village and has taken on the responsibility to sensitize, mobilize and encourage couples at household level to go and test for HIV.

Sporting AIDS out of Youth in Uganda

AIDS Information Centre in conjunction with TUSAPA has yet again organized a youth sports tournament dubbed 'Sporting AIDS out of Youth in Uganda'.

The popularity of sport to participants and spectators of all ages across the world is undeniable. In many communities in Uganda, all it takes is a ball to gather multitudes of children. It against this background that AIC and TUSAPA have decided to use sport as bait to attract young participants in order to provide them core HIV/AIDS services such as voluntary HIV testing, education on the risk behaviors that put them at risk of HIV, life skills education, harm reduction campaigns including alcohol, talk about reproductive health, and human rights.

This programme has turned into a TUSAPA-AIC calendar activity. The two organizations teamed up to organize what was dubbed ‘‘2nd National Inter-secondary HIV/AIDS Prevention sport Tournament'' aimed at increasing knowledge on HIV/AIDS among youth in schools through sport. The year 2010, acted as a mile stone for other annual tournaments in Uganda targeting young people on the theme of sports and HIV/AIDS. In 2010, more than 30,000 young people were reached with information on HIV and new approaches to avoid the pandemic through sports, 1,000 tested for HIV.

This is a new approach of responding to HIV&AIDS in Uganda. This year 2011, AIC and TUSAPA are making the programme more attractive and accommodative to allow young people from all corners of the country have a chance to share their experiences as well as learning new things including HIV&AIDS, HCT, Harmful drug reduction, unwanted pregnancies campaigns, human rights and so on. Unlike in 2010 where 32 secondary schools participated, this year 2011 it is hoped that the number of schools will double. These schools are selected by a panel of specialists including; FUFA staff, Ministry of Education & Sports, different clubs and representatives from various schools.

This programme will be targeting students in selected secondary schools of Uganda in partnership with Ministry of Education and Sports, Federation of Uganda Football Association(FUFA) and this will be done through districts of Uganda including Northern part. It is hoped that the tournament will start on 11th March 2011.

The programme will start with district competitions and the quarter and final matches are expected to be at Nakivubo stadium in Kampala. Over 32 schools will be competing for a purpose, sporting out HIV/AIDS among young people in Uganda.

The following activities are planned during this tournament

• HIV/AIDS educational talks
• Alcohol and harmful drug reduction
• Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV
• Reproductive Health talks
• STI talks
• Music Dance and Drama
• Human Rights issues

AIC Forms more Partnerships for Better Service Delivery.

AIDS Information recently built partnerships with other organizations to increase HCT uptake and reach more people with services. It is hoped that through these partnerships AIC will be able to reach more people with services and also build capacity of such organizations to offer similar services. Among the partnerships created include:

Strengthening of Tuberculosis and AIDS Response in Eastern Uganda (STAR-E)

AIC signed an MOU with Management Sciences for Health (MSH) for nine months effective (January 2010 - 30 September 2010) to implement an HIV/AIDS program under STAR-E in Eastern region targeting 30,000 clients with HCT. The program is covering the districts of Busia, Bukwo, Kapchorwa, Mbale, Budaka, Sironko, Butaleja, Bududa and Busia.

The main focus of the MOU includes:

* Capacity building for effective HCT service delivery through improved planning with the communities to divide roles between AIC and the selected communities;
* Support to HCT outreach programs and quality assurance.
* Support to coordination activities aimed at improving reporting and giving the feedback to stakeholders.

MJAP

AIC signed an MOU with MJAP for period October 2009 - 30 September 2010 to support the AIC branches of Arua, Soroti and Mbale to reach 200,000 clients with HCT. The MOU focuses on four main technical areas:

* Capacity building for effective HCT service delivery through supervision of trained cadres in Health units to strengthen their skills, knowledge and competencies;
* Support to HCT outreach programs targeting MARPS through CBOs and selected health facilities and RCT at the health centres;
* Establish and strengthen "Post Test Clubs" to Scale up community response to HIV prevention;
* Strengthening systems in the districts through Human resources, M&E, data management, community response and Supply Chain Management

UNFPA/PACE

AIC has signed an MOU with PACE to implement a program on sexual reproductive health and HIV services in the districts of Oyam, Moroto and Mubende with funding from UNFPA.

UNICEF

UNICEF provided supported AIC with CD4 reagents to support palliative care services to HIV positive clients in AIC branches. The following items were received.

* FACS Clean solution,9X5 Litres
* FACs flow fluids,33X20
* FACS Count solution,9X5
* FACS Count reagents,180 X50 Tests
* FACS count controls, 45X25 Tests
* Vacutainer needles,10X1000
* Vacutainer needle holders, 4.15X1000
* Alcohol Swabs,100X100
* Pipette Tips, 61X1000
* Gloves (Examination),100X100

The consignment is expected to ensure continuous supply of the reagents to AIC branches for one year.

Commemorating the International Candle Light Memorial

Every year, Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International candlelight memorial. The International theme for this year was "Many Lights for Human Rights". Uganda organized an awareness week where a number of activities including boda boda sensitization, football tournaments, media campaign, community dialogues, radio and television shows, blood donation, home/hospital visits, school visits, performance by music artists and printing of IEC materials among others.

The commemoration of this day was crowned with a major event on May 18th, 2010 at Busoga Square in Jinja under the slagon ‘Light up the HIV Response’.

The international candle light memorial is one of the oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV&AIDS awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May to honor the lost and raise social consciousness about the disease. The Candlelight also provides opportunities for leadership development, policy advocacy, partnerships, and improvement of community mobilization skills.

In Uganda the first international candlelight memorial was observed in 1988. During that inaugural memorial, TASO, working with the government of Uganda played a key role and mobilized their support groups which mainly constituted people infected and those affected by AIDS at that time. Since then, Uganda has commemorated the international candlelight memorial as a pre-cursor to World AIDS Day, every year.

AIDS Information centre participated in activities that included HIV counseling and testing starting on 10th to 18th May 2010, and exhibiting on the commemoration day.

Over 420,000 people test for HIV with AIDS Information Centre, Uganda

During the year 2009, AIC continued to contribute to the national HIV&AIDS prevention efforts by providing HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) services among other services. The organisation also continued to design strategies aimed at increasing access to HIV counseling and testing, care and support services. HIV and AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis remained the main focus of medical services in the organisation. The year saw 422,610 clients counseled and tested for HIV. This was the highest number of clients tested by AIC in a single year since inception.

The majority 51% accessed HCT services in outreaches, 36% in district sites and 13% at AIC main branches. This is comparable to 2008 where 42% of the HCT services were accessed in outreaches, 35% in District sites and 23% in AIC main branches of Arua, Jinja, Kabale Kampala, Lira, Mbale, Mbarara, and Soroti.

Of those tested 57% were female while 43% were male. Female clients are more inclined to know their HIV status as opposed to their male counterparts. This has been the trend for the last five years. It is now expected that with the new program targeting couples, the number of males accessing HCT will increase

The adult age group 25-49 years constituted the majority, accounting for 47% of AIC’s clients. The youth and children below 25 years accounted for 45%.

Summary of AIC service achievements during 2009

• 422,610 received HIV counselling and testing and received their results
• 31,038 clients accessed counselling and testing and received results as couples
• 1,112 prisoners received HCT and got their results in Gulu and Luzira Upper Prison
• 119,612 individuals received abstinence and Being faithful messages through drama and other PTC activities
• 356,681 individuals received abstinence and Being faithful messages through as part of HCT
• 137,663 as part of HCT to youth and children below 24 years
• 1,197,009 pieces of condoms were distributed to 8,642 individuals
• 8,299 clients received Basic care packages.
• 44,861 HIV positive clients were screened for TB
• 8,387 TB patients were counseled and tested for HIV
• 967 TB clients co-infected with HIV had their CD4 count tests done
• 363 TB/HIV co-infected clients were referred for Anti retro viral therapy
• 1057 participants benefitted from different training programmes

For a detailed report please contact AIDS Information Centre at informationdesk@aicug.org

Fighting HIV&AIDS Among Youth through Sports

AIDS Information Center-Uganda (AIC) in partnership with Uganda Students AIDS Prevention Association (TUSAPA) organized the first ever sports galla aimed at increasing HIV&AIDS awareness among young people in schools through sports. The event was dubbed ‘Inter-Secondary School HIV/AIDS Prevention Sports Tournament 2010’ and was the first of its kind in Uganda.

The tournament ran for 4 days with 12 secondary schools participating and these included Old Kampala Secondary school, St. Mary’s college Kitende, Kololo S.S.S, City High school, Kampala citizen college school, Mengo Secondary school, Lubiri High school, Uganda Martyrs High school Rubaga, Kithende College School, Kampala Secondary School, Nakasero Secondary school, and Kingsway High school.

Among the games competed for included Football (Major), Netball, Basketball, and Volley ball. All these games were conducted at the same time and same venue where football was being played.

The tournament attracted a number of young people and this was used as a good avenue to reach them with HIV&AIDS Information. As the young people enjoyed the games AIDS Information centre used it as an opportunity to provide services like HIV counseling and testing, educational talks on HIV&AIDS, reproductive health, family planning, drug addictions and dangers of early pregnancies.

Information was passed on to these youth through loud speakers and groups discussions. Young people were asking different questions on HIV&AIDS, pregnancies and other health related issues.

Over 25,000 young people were reached with information on HIV&AIDS and other health concerns. The matches also attracted a number of other people who were not necessarily students who benefited from the free HIV counseling and testing that was provided free of charge at the venue.

St. Mary’s College - Kitende emerged as the football trophy winner after beating Old Kampala Secondary school. Old Kampala won the Basketball trophy, Uganda Martyrs High School won the Volleyball trophy and Kampala Citizen College School won the Netball trophy.

Special thanks to the football governing body (FUFA), SIMKA the Ice Cream Company for their support in making the tournament a success.