Post on 19-Jan-2023
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MPOLYABIGERE RC-RICED CENTRE
A REPORT ON THE WORLD AIDS DAY
ONE MILLION TEST CAMPAIGN 2008
25TH
NOV. - 1ST
DEC.
Contact
PLOT 84 IVUKULA ROAD
P.O BOX 116 BUSEMBATIA
NAMUTUMBA DISTRICT UGANDA
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 3
2.0 Partners ............................................................................................................................................ 4
3.0 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 5
4.0 Community Benefit ........................................................................................................................... 5
5.0 The People’s Voices (In their own words): ........................................................................................ 6
6.0 Achievements ................................................................................................................................... 7
7.0 Lessons/Success Stories .................................................................................................................. 8
8.0 Specific Challenges encountered on Site ......................................................................................... 9
9.0 Way Forward .................................................................................................................................. 10
10.0 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ 11
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1.0 Introduction
What begun with a paper and pen commitment in Mexico City at the XVII International AIDS
Conference has now been realised. The first phase of the One Million Testing Campaign came
to an end on Monday the 1st of December 2008 after an exciting seven-day Mass Voluntary
Counselling and Testing exercise. The One Million Testing Campaign came as a blessing to
Namutumba district whose 57,138 households are still under facilitated in terms of health and
social-economic services. The 2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census conducted by the
Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated the population of Namutumba district at 201,506 people
of which 114,859 are children below 18 years.
The 2002 National Population and Housing Census put Namutumba district population at
169,691 of which 86,179 were female and 81,512 males. According to the district poverty
indicators malaria and pneumonia are the most prevalent diseases in the district. The Insect
Treated Nets (ITNs) coverage is very low with 20% of those households that have at least one
ITN hence the difficulty to prevent malaria transmission. HIV/AID is ranked the 6th
disease
affecting the population in Namutumba, but the prevalence rate is 6.5% (women 7.5% and men
5.2%) which is above the national average of 6.4% (UHSBS, 2005). According to the district
plan, HIV/AIDS “requires attentions for prevention, care and support especially among the out
of school of all ages as well as youth and adult youth in school who are more at risk. In addition,
women either widowed or single parents / caregivers need special support as they are the most
affected by HIV/AIDS.” No doubt that HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of morbidity at
6% and mortality of 1% which negatively impacts basic health care services.
According to district records, of those children under five years who were tested in the district
health centres, 1% were found to be positive (UHSBS, 2005), the second highest in the country.
Highly Active Anti-Retrial Viral Therapy (HAART) programme is not well known and the
services are not easily accessible (27% availability of HIV/AIDS services) reports the DHO.
Mpolyabigere RC RICED Center was able to bring the campaign to the grassroots to these
people during the One Million Tests Campaign and covered a symbolic and significant cross
section of Namutumba District and the bordering town council of Busembatia in Iganga district.
We believe that AIDS does not respect political boundaries. And so, we are also involved in the
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Common Markets Authority of Eastern and Central Africa (COMESA) campaign to ensure that
the food basket is not affected by HIV/AIDS.
2.0 Partners
Mpolyabigere is grateful to the following organisations which through the One Million Tests
Campaign 2008 enabled us to make foot prints in extending testing services to many out there,
something we desired to do for many years before, but were unable without this kind of support.
We are grateful for the support and partnership with AIDS Health Care Foundation-Uganda
Cares, AIDS Health Care Foundation USA, SHANGHAI KEHUA BIOENGNEERING, LTD
SHANGHAI CHINA, Aids Information Centre (AIC) Jinja Branch, Nsinze Health Centre IV and
the Namutumba District Health Office (DHO). We hope that this pioneered activity will not stop
at this initiation stage.
This partnership which has been one of the strongest ever that Mpolyabigere RC-RICED Center
has enjoyed working with since 2001 when we hosted seven countries in Eastern Africa and the
Horn to a two-week Community Organising for Social Transformation Training of Trainers
(COSTT). It will strengthen our roll-out on the campaign against HIV/AIDS in Uganda and
collaboration with other executing agencies like COMESA business corridor campaign which is
ongoing. We believe that in the coming years will experience far less cases on new HIV/AIDS
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infection leave an enviable legacy on the landscape of HIV prevention and control programs in
rural Africa.
3.0 Methodology
Two testing teams comprising of four technical persons each were dispatched to two different
venues each day. The Program Officer maintained coordination between the events. We begun
with mass counselling, followed by group pre-testing counselling, then registration of those to be
tested, before proceeding to the testing area; and lastly the counsellor provided results in
confidence accompanied with post test counselling services. Those who were waiting were
entertained with campaign songs and speeches. On the eve of the World AIDS Day, a foot ball
match was held in addition to the speeches and discussions by the district executives.
4.0 Community Benefit
Participation in the One Million World AIDS Day mass testing campaign raised the profile and
visibility of both Mpolyabigere RC RICED Centre and Namutumba district. Apart from the
counselling and testing, bright T-shirts with a bold message, three carton boxes of condoms were
distributed, to the clients who tested and most especially on the World AIDS Day
Commemoration at Nsinze Sub-County.
Mpolyabigere HIV/AIDS PACE 2010 (Prevention and Control Education) Programme has
through this campaign realised more local and international collaboration, gained focus, and
program consolidation of its goal to increase community awareness of their reproductive health
and potential.
The T-shirts, Straight talk and Young talk newspaper, and the people trained to volunteer for the
week will continue to be resourceful reminders to the community. In addition the materials put
in the Mpolyabigere Community Library will remain a common reference to serve the
community and the district and beyond.
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5.0 The People’s Voices (In their own words):
A lady client from Nangonde village said: „„We had to pay money to get tested and that because
of the huge distances to the Health Centres and usually with many patients in long lines, one gets
no opportunity and enough time to go and test. As if that alone is not enough you hardly receive
the results.” She concludes by saying that this service was an opportunity that should not to be
missed.
Another, a school head teacher asked Mpolyabigere to go into the schools directly for VCT as
the students would feel free to go and test and know their status instantly than to wait for week.
A Health worker in charge of the ART Clinic which started in March 2007 were those who are
positive gather every Thursday asked Mpolyabigere to improvise means to help the many clients
who spend the whole day hungry at the ART Clinic for counselling and ARVS. “Many of them
come from distant parts of the district and cannot afford to buy meals or carry meals over the
long distances. It would be better if they eat some porridge at least for lunch other than stay
hungry for the whole day.” She said.
At this ART Clinic 660 have been enrolled and all are on Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, 75 patients
have been started on ARVs and 15 patients have died. The 33 who tested positive through the
one million campaigns, the biggest number had tested for the first time hence registering an
increase on the people who are positive and now referred to the same health centre.
Another lamented: “You have not reached some parts were noticeably there are people infected
and they will infect others without knowing.”
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6.0 Achievements
Given the time and resources at hand, we were able to reach out to 11 testing centres and served
the following number of people in the different sub-counties.
SUMMARY OF TESTING COVERAGE
Centre
Number
Testing Centre Tested by AIC Tested by One
Million
Total number of
people tested
1. NAMUTUMBA DISTRICT
Namutumba Town Council
150 148 298
2. Nsinze Trading Center 207 207
3. Isegero Trading Center 115 115
4. St. Paul‟s Buwongo 87 87
5. Kilanga Village 179 179
6. Bugobi Health Center 247 247
7. Kibale Trading Center 347 347
8. Nabinhonhi Village 179 179
9. Bulange Trading Center 114 114
10. Nangonde 133 133
11. IGANGA DISTRICT
Busembatia Town Council
109 109
TOTAL 392 1623 2015
A total of two thousand and fifteen (2015) people were tested for HIV and out of which thirty
three (33) tested positive and were referred to Nsinze Health Centre IV for further counselling
and treatment. Our set target was initially set at 600 but was nearly tripled. If we had mapped
out to achieve the community wide target of 10,000 tests, there is no doubt it would have been
reached. This clearly exhibits the mobilization potential of Mpolyabigere RC RICED Center for
Mass action. The tangible results during this campaign put us in a good position of meeting our
set target of reaching out to the under-privileged rural people who wish to know their sero-status
but are unable to walk miles to get tested.
The football match which was organised as a mobilisation strategy attracted people of all ages.
It was during this event on the eve of World AIDS Day that was used to mark the World AIDS
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Day and to talk about the One Million Test Campaign. Emphasis was put on the youth in that
they had a huge role to play in order to push back HIV/AIDS and to experience a World free
from HIV/AIDS. We shared live examples, such as that one needed to be healthy to keep playing
foot ball. We invited them to inform their peers and other people they come across to turn up for
the 20th
Anniversary Commemoration of the World AIDS day the next day and to triple their
energies in pushing back HIV/AIDS. In turn the youth and local leadership expressed keen
interest to work with Mpolyabigere to reverse the trends of HIV and AIDS by ensuring that there
are no new infections. As a campaign of being an Agent of Change they promised to continue
with productive games like football and netball and to avoid those that would predispose them to
infection.
7.0 Lessons/Success Stories
The testing team which comprised of Community Orginisers and Health Workers was an
energetic and enthusiastic force. They combined their popularity within their communities and
accuracy of work to provide a good and impressive picture in all testing centers. The turn up
was equally amazing. People of all ages wanted to be tested. The testing team attributed this to
the urgency that was needed in particular sub-counties, hence the need to divide up the team so
that more villages could be covered.
All people in the testing centres were warm and very receptive to the campaign and encouraged
each other to turn up for the testing. Through local councils and community organisers people
turned up in large numbers. This is the first time such an activity has been held and we could
hear people recommending it as a good practice. The t-shirts, sports, songs, and allowances to
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the team added to the success of the activities. These incentives created an environment of love,
trust and hope for all the participants.
It was also good to see local leader at the different levels working together for a common cause
which is not just political but social and health. Leaders at different levels came around and even
tested for the first time in their life to set an example to the rest.
8.0 Specific Challenges encountered on Site
Health mobilisation in the rural communities faces great challenges of limited material resources,
poor transport, unmotivated health and social workers, and apathetic local leadership. But this
time it was a reversal. The team and people to be tested had to travel several miles from the
depth and breadth of the villages to come to central venues where the activities were held.
Travel was done mostly by footing or bicycle for the near by testing centres. Those who could
not walk or ride did not turn up. We also worked from the open under trees in some places
because these are the community spaces. A rapid testing convention would be complemented by
a drop-in kind of service where a person does not have to wait for a full day before being given
the service. Moreover, counselling services, that are so crucial in HIV/AIDS management, are
rare or lacking in the district. Some community counsellors had to be got from different health
centres of the district Miles away to be trained to support the exercise this explains the delays
actually experienced in arrivals for training when the trainers from AHF- Uganda Cares arrived
at the health centre.
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Sports which are our main mobilisation tools were held only at one venue although we would
have desired to have it at all the venues so that the discussions can continue through playing and
positive entertainment. This was not possible because the teams lacked balls and drums. We
also did not show the video tapes that had been planned due to limited logistics including lack of
electricity and big screen.
9.0 The Way Forward
Individuals that tested positive were counselled and referred to Nsinze health Centre IV which
has an ART Clinic. And those Individuals who tested negative were advised accordingly to
maintain the best practices that prevent contraction of the deadly Virus.
There is still an urgent need for us to extend our out-reach services to those who were unable to
turn up in these seven days and to give post test counselling and testing to those who were tested.
The number of those who tested positive seems low but for a rural community that is a big
number and it could be that these were the ones who did not suspect they could have HIV. There
could those who were suspicious and they deliberately kept off. We need to continue to offer
counselling and testing support in an environment of hope and trust.
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We need to mobilise the communities into post-test clubs for dissemination of information and
encouragement of each other. Community counsellors need to be trained and supported to
continue with the work in the sites were the testing was held to reach out to the families, schools
and communities to keep the morale of positive living alive.
10.0 Acknowledgements
In a special way we thank Herb Fisher, Testing campaign Co-ordinator World AIDS day Project
Global Advocacy AHF for the Universal access Flag in recognition of our impressive activity
program for the One Million test campaign. For the contacts built through this partnership with
Wendy of SHANGHAI KEHUA BIOENGNEERING LTD in SHANGHAI CHINA that made a
donation to Mpolyabigere of 12 kits that conducted 600 tests which they delivered by DHL to
Mpolyabigere Offices in Nsinze. Thank you!
To Dr. Kate Ssamula Project Co-ordinator HIV Mass testing Project AHF-Uganda Cares;
through her Coordination AHF- Uganda cares offered a Total of 35 Kits that conduct 1,680 tests,
five boxes of disposable gloves (5*100) totalling to 500 in number and 50 Uganda Cares T-
shirts which coloured the events.
AIDS Health Care Foundation-Uganda Cares delivered the testing kits and also sent a training
team to train the health Workers that were to use the testing Kits in the One Million Mass testing
campaign. Our grand appreciations go to our trainers Bonny, Martha and Paul of AHF-Uganda
Cares. The Health Workers that were trained confessed that it was their first time they were
using the Insti testing kit and they say it was easy and convenient to use, an opportunity they
were happy about. Through the training on how to use the kits, they said it was an opportunity
for them in their carrier.
AHF-Uganda cares also contributed Uganda shillings one million one hundred and twenty five
thousand (1,125,000/=) as allowances for the Health Workers. AIDS Information Centre Jinja
Branch who honoured our invitation to take up other distant areas that would have been
impossible for Mpolyabigere testing team to reach for lack of transport. AIC Jinja came with its
full facilitation and we did only the Mobilisation local logistics which was a great contribution.
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The District Health Officer and his team of Namutumba District Local Government offered the
Nsinze Health Centre Ambulance to transport the testing team and provided fifty (50) litres of
fuel. This made it easy for the testing teams to reach out to all the planned testing centres in the
various sub-counties on time. We are grateful for all your unequalled generous support to this
critical rural campaign programme.
Last but not least, the Mpolyabigere Campaign Team: Baamugha Erizeefaani with his Executive
Committee comprising of Hussein Kigenyi, Mulawo Fauza, Kakande Dalaus, and the Health
Workers: Kibenge Perepetwa, Nanyange Agnes, Musasizi Daniel, Isiiko Fred, Ngobi
Muhammad, Ndizawa Jane, Musinguzi, Natocho Jessica, Nabiryo Tunonya, the Administrator
Mrs. Petwa Tibakubawo Wambi, Programs advisor Mr. Wambi Dawson, Wandera Tom of
Nsinze Health Center Laboratory, Doola Nasimu, Ntamira James, Babirye Hadijah, Sabuka
Dominiki, Kyabanabwe Mary, Charlotte Birungi, Francis Kyakulaga, Henry, Nsinze H/C
Clinical Officer, Mr. Mukambwe, all the village Local Council Chief Executives of the
respective testing centres and Mr. George Ddamba, the District Speaker of Namutumba District
Local Government. Thank you again!
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Compiled by
Enoch Magala
Youth Development Officer
Mpolyabigere RC RICED Center
Email: enochmagala@yahoo.com
Tel: + (256) 712-570445
“Planting, Nurturing and Harvesting Humanity”