Plan supports anti-retroviral treatment in Uganda

Liba Taylor

Prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission improve the chance of the child survival

Plan in Uganda began to address HIV/AIDS in the mid-1990s. In Tororo District, Plan is involved in a community based Mother-To-Child-Transmission (MTCT) programme in partnership with the District Health Office, the Joint Clinical Research Centre and the AIDS Information Centre. The prevention of MTCT in the district is achieved through Nevirapine, which is given to the mothers at the onset of labour and a single dose to the infant soon after delivery (within 72 hours). This reduces transmission of the disease by 42%.

Over the last months, parents have repeatedly asked if anti-retroviral treatment (ART) could be made available to them so they could live long enough to secure their children’s future.

Plan thus decided to expand its programme to include treatment with anti-retrovirals (ARVs), and the programme became one of the first community-based MTCT-Plus programmes in Uganda. ART has wider implications for the programme organisation and the livelihood of people.

Victor Brott

Children during a vocational training

Plan has also started a special support programme for children affected by HIV/AIDS in the area. Some of the children are infected themselves, others have lost one or even both parents and in a number of cases they head households themselves. Children’s Centers have been established to offer half-day programmes for children 3-4 days per week, ongoing counseling, training in life-skills, art and play (recreational) therapy, games, drama and educational support (reading/writing). At weekends, extra activities are added and the centers provide children with one nutritious meal and one snack a day. Vocational trainings for older children are organised as well.

Nationwide, only a few programmes provide ART for children and Plan is consulting with local organisations and the government to assess whether ART should be made available to these children too.

By Dr. Dithan Kiragga, Health  Advisor, Plan Uganda