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AHF opened the first AHF Uganda Cares clinic in Masaka in February 2002 through a collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, offering the first ever opportunity for antiretroviral treatment (ART) outside of the capital city of Kampala. AHF Uganda Cares is now one of the country’s largest providers of free HIV/AIDS treatment and care. The program’s model, based on public, civil society and community participation, was identified by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS as a best practice model for ART in 2003. Thanks to intensive support and follow-up by community-based organizations, 98% of AHF Uganda Cares clients adhere to their treatment regimens. Over time, service delivery was scaled up to now cover 27 districts, including Rakai district where the first incidence of HIV was diagnosed in 1980.

AHF Uganda Cares provides a multitude of services, including free antiretroviral therapy for more than 147,250 people countrywide. There is HIV testing and counselling services where current focus is on targeted testing, reaching out the most at-risk populations and linking the positive clients into chronic HIV care. Condom education and free condom distribution and safer sex promotions through outreach and media campaigns constitute key prevention efforts of AHF Uganda Cares. HIV testing is offered in each of the 64 AHF supported health facilities. In addition, AHF Uganda Cares supports infrastructure improvement which creates a dignified service environment to treat HIV clients. Further, AHF Uganda Cares engages in advocacy activities including the right to treatment access, funding HIV response, securing protection and rights of the girl child, and the use of condoms as an effective prevention approach.

Since the 1990s, Uganda has been struggling with HIV and AIDS. At the peak of the epidemic, 18.5% of people in Uganda were living with HIV. The government’s policies and leadership plus support from development partners have helped to bring down adult HIV prevalence to 5.3 % in 2020 according to UNAIDS report. The new HIV infections in the same year were 38,000, down from 53,000 in the previous period. However, it is noted that the young people aged 15- 24 years account for 37% of new infections. This is a great concern as the country makes strides towards elimination of HIV as a public health threat by 2030. Other challenges include donor dependence on HIV funding which makes the response unsustainable hence the urgency for raising domestic HIV funding. Over 1,200,000 people on treatment and over 200,000 people living with HIV yet to be enrolled require a stable funding source of medication. The country viral load suppression rate is 82% below the UNAIDS target. The above challenges call for commitment from all stakeholders to keep the promise to end HIV as a public health threat in Uganda.

Girls Act empowers girls and young women to stay healthy and thrive!  We work to Prevent HIV and STI infections, Reduce unplanned pregnancies, Help young women and girls stay on their HIV treatment, and Support them to stay in school! If you are interested in learning more about Girls Act, or need HIV testing information, please contact the Girls Act Country Coordinator: Alice Kayongo – [email protected]
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