Our system enables children to adhere to treatment
Last updated on: 04 March 2024
We have been able to deliver a system, a health care system, that brings all communities, that brings all families into a system where they’re able to receive treatment, where they’re able to be retained and supported in HIV/AIDS care. Says Richard Ochen of Health Need Uganda, one of the valuable partners in the Towards an AIDS free Generation in Uganda (TAFU) programme. He reflects on eight years of TAFU programme and why community leadership is so important in ensuring children living with HIV have access to the care they need. Watch his interview!
“One of the things that we have learned, which is very, very key is that communities are places where you get social support, support in form of a family. But you also get assets at the community that are very relevant, and very important as far as care for the children are concerned. It is where you can get food. It’s where you can get nutritional support. It’s where you can get psychological support. These are factors which are very, very key. We have been able to deliver a system, a health care system, that brings all communities that brings all families into a system where they’re able to receive treatment, where they’re able to be retained and supported in HIV/AIDS care.
We have put a community system that is able to locate children, a system that is able to link children, a system that is able to put children in treatment, but also very, very important a system that has been able to retain and adhere children to treatment. And I think going forward, we are very much confident that the number of children that are put on treatment are going to live and live forever.”
About Towards an AIDS Free Generation in Uganda (TAFU) Programme
The Towards an AIDS Free Generation in Uganda programme was Aidsfonds’ first paediatric HIV community intervention programme co-created with Ugandan community-based partner organisations. The program trained community resource persons and village health teams to identify children living with HIV, refer them to health facilities and follow up on them after they are enrolled in HIV care. Based on the successes and learnings of TAFU in Uganda, Aidsfonds scaled paediatric HIV programming to four other countries between 2018-2021: Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique and Nigeria. These five programmes, co-developed with partner organisations form the basis for the Aidsfonds Kids to Care model for community based paediatric HIV programming.
The Towards an AIDS Free Generation in Uganda (TAFU) programme was Aidsfonds’ first paediatric HIV community intervention programme. The programme trained up community health workers to identify HIV positive children, and link individuals to care and ongoing support. The programme was co-created through community leadership and engagement with key stakeholders, building on community knowledge of the needs of children living with HIV. Towards an AIDS Free Generation in Uganda changed the way that community-based paediatric HIV services were delivered.
Medan faces significant challenges related to stigma and discrimination against PLHIV and the LGBTQI+ community. Access to healthcare services is limited, as many people are hesitant to seek medical help due to fears of rejection and discrimination. HIV issues and LGBTQI+ rights receive little policy attention, with healthcare services lacking inclusivity and minimal public education, worsening the situation for the LGBTQI+ community in addressing HIV in Medan.
Three new pilot projects for children living with HIV
Three new pilot projects for children living with HIV
In summer 2024 Aidsfonds launched three new pilot projects for children living with HIV. These projects were selected by Aidsfonds’ Paediatric HIV Advisory Panel. The projects aim to test new and innovative community-based approaches to identify and support children living with HIV who are underserved. This is important as these children are hard to reach, falling through the crack in the health care system.
