HUMANITARIAN CARE UGANDA (HCU)

Project Title:Fighting AIDS In The Home (FAITH)

Project

KAMULI DISTRICT QUARTERLY REPORT

October 2012 December 2012

FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

List of Acronyms& Abbreviations

AIDS CHCT FAITH GLCs HCU HIV PHAs PMTCT RDC SMC STI UHMG USAID

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Couple HIV Counseling and Testing Fighting AIDS In The Home Project Good Life Clinics (UHMG supported private health facilities) Humanitarian Care Uganda Human Immunodeficiency Virus People living with HIV/AIDS Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Resident District Commissioner Safe Male Circumcision Sexually Transmitted Infections Uganda Health Marketing Group United States Agency for International Development

FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

1.0 Introduction
FAITH an acronym for Fighting AIDS In The Home project (an HIV prevention project) as developed by HCU looks forward to contribute to and promote the reduction of and support to HIV prevention measures among married couples and partners in long term sexual relationships in order to reduce HIV infections among couples and promote awareness and increased utilization of good life promoting products as recommended by UHMG. With support from USAID through Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG), Humanitarian Care Uganda (HCU) is implementing FAITH activities in Kamuli district and other 8 districts of, Kyenjojo, Kanungu, Mbale, Wakiso, Lira, Mukono, Kabale and Kabarole. This is done in collaboration with the fidelity couple support groups popularly known as fidelity clubs and the UHMGs Good Life supported clinics in each of the nine mentioned districts where the project is being implemented, so as to increase couples access to HIV prevention, care and social support services and empower them to sustain communication around faithfulness and HIV/AIDS in their long term sexual relationships.

2.0 Quarterly Activity Performance Matrix No. Activity Description

1.

Performance Indicators

Target
14 persons

Output
14 persons

%age Comments /Performance clarification

100% Accomplished. Thanks to effective mobilization and interest in the project Ongoing.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Promote and orient HERO No. of couples oriented couples on modern FP methods Community education and No. of people in long term mobilization sexual relationships reached Linkages for CHCT No. of couples mobilized among people in long for CHCT and receiving term sexual relationships their results Mobilization of No. of mothers accessing community members for Maternal Health services Maternal Health Services Mobilization of No. of Children accessing

1,470 adults

1,309 adult 89% individuals 92 couples 32%

288 couples

116 mothers

61 mothers

53%

Ongoing but affected by shortages of test kits by GLCs. Ongoing.

196children

94 children

48%

Ongoing.
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FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

6.

7.

8.

communities for Child Child Health services Health Services Safe Male Circumcision No. of adult males 266 adult 86 adult 32% embracing SMC for HIV males males prevention Marital Counseling No. of couples counseled 165 couples to promote family harmony Support supervision and No. of visits conducted 1 visit 1 visit 100% monitoring visits

Ongoing

Ongoing. Thanks to frequent club meetings and outreaches. Accomplished

3.0 Activities Implemented

3.1 Promote and orient couples on a variety of modern family planning methods

To promote the adoption and effective use family planning products, HCU through the FAITH project with support from USAID & UHMG procured a number of family planning products which included among others, Injectaplan, Implants, IUDs, NewFem, Softsure, Pilplanplus, O-condoms and protector condoms. After the procurement, HCU went on and distributed these items in the district where a sample of 14 couple club members were oriented on how such items are used to ensure referral of couples and raising healthier and prosperous manageable families. These products were delivered and distributed in 6 Good Life Clinics (as shown in table below), however, for transparency and accountability, the chairperson of Kitayunjwa fidelity club was invited and witnessed the distribution.

FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

Table 1: List of Good Life Clinics that received FP products in Kamuli district Quantity Supplied ITEM Universal Apostle Kamuli Kamuli Fellowship clinic Dispensary Emergency Injectaplan 1 carton 1 carton 1 carton Implants 1 carton 1 carton 1 carton IUDS 50 pieces 50 pieces New Fem 5 packets 5 packets 5 packets Soft Sure 5 packets 5 packets 5 packets Pilplans plus 1 carton 10 parkers Protector condoms 1 carton 1 carton 1 carton

Health Family Nursing Home 1 carton 1 carton 100 pieces 5 packets 5 packets 10 packets 1 carton

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 1:A nursing office of Kamuli Health care emergency acknowledging products delivered as a staff (in a cream T-shirt) from HCU looks on Fig 2: HCU staff offloading products meant for Kamuli Dispensary
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FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012 3.2 Community Education and Mobilization

KAMULI DISTRICT

HCU in collaboration with members of theKitayunjwa fidelity clubwith support from the FAITH project conducted community education and mobilization outreaches dedicated to raise community members awarenessabout HIV/AIDS and promote strengthened faithfulness among couples through peer to peer education and community outreach visits. Other issues which were also considered included which may increase their vulnerability to HIV infection like sero discordant, gender based violence to ensure reduced vulnerability to HIV infections. In total, 1400 adults were reached with HIV prevention messages in Kamuli district during this quarter Table 2: Number of individuals mobilized DISTRICT S/COUNTY PARISH Kitayunjwa Nawango Namaganda Kamuli Busota Butende Namisambya I Namisambya II Buganza Kitayunjwa Nawansao
Grand Total

OCT 51 48 45 56 51 53 38 56 54
452

NOV 58 56 54 64 53 59 43 73 66
526

DEC 36 48 55 48 45 47 46 49 48
422

Total

1400

3.3 Linkages for Couples HIV Counseling and Testing among couples

HCU through the FAITH project and in collaboration with the Universal Apostles Fellowship clinic (one of the Good Life Clinics) supported couples to know their HIV statuses. As community mobilisers, members of the Kitayunjwa fidelity club mobilized and referred peers for CHCT outreaches and other couple services including among others family planning, STI management in Kamuli.Consequently a total number of 92 couples (184 men and women) were mobilized and supported to know their HIV status. During these outreaches, members were also informed that HCU is yet to facilitate other GLCs to carry out the same services to enable extend services to a wider community. The photographs below show participants engagement in the exercise.
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FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

3.4 Mobilization for Maternal Health Services

In its efforts to improve access to health services as a family prosperity strategy, HCU through the FAITH project, with the help of HERO couples mobilized, referred and followed up peers especially breastfeeding and pregnant mothers living with HIV for PMTCT and family planning services through peer to peer interventions. They conducted mobilization outreaches to members of their respective communities and referred them to GLCs and government health facilities for services. This was meant to promote safe motherhood, child survival and care during pregnancy. A total of 61mothers (29 pregnant women for antenatal care and 32 for family planning services) were mobilized and referred for maternal health services during the quarter in review.
3.5 Mobilization for Child Health Services

During the quarter, HERO couples subscribing to Kitayunjwa Fidelity Club, through communitymobilization outreaches referred and followed up 94 children(babies and children under five years of age) for children health services.

FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012 3.6 Safe Male Circumcision

KAMULI DISTRICT

Through Peer to peer education and conducting of community outreach visits,Humanitarian Care Uganda(HCU) working with HERO couples (under their umbrella- Kitayunjwa couple club) mobilized, sensitized and encouraged men to get circumcised. As a result, male adults engaged adult males in their respective communities and encouraged them to embrace Safe Male Circumcision for HIV prevention. In total, 86 adult males were circumcised following medical assistance from Universal Apostles Fellowship clinic, a UHMG Good Life supported clinic.
3.7Marital Counseling

As a way to strengthen families, HCU through members of the Fidelity Clubs provided counseling on marital issues to community members on issues like gender based violence and discordance to promote family harmony. During the quarter, a total of 165 couples in Kamuli districts benefitted from this counseling as individuals and sometimes as married couples. Table:Total number of participants in marital counseling SUBDISTRICT COUNTY 15-24 YRS M F 3 4 2 3 4 2 3 4 3 28 5 6 4 5 3 4 5 3 5 40 25 YRS & ABOVE M F 4 3 5 3 4 5 4 7 4 39 5 6 9 7 6 7 3 9 6 58

DATE October December 2012

PARISH

TOTAL

Kamuli

Kitayunjwa

Namisambya II Kitayunjwa Nawansao Namaganda Butende Namisambya I Buganza Nawango Busota

TOTAL

17 19 20 18 17 18 15 23 18 165

FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

4.0 Best practice

Working with HERO couples recruited from the local communities during community outreaches and mobilization of community members is a very good practice. Community members and peers are free with them as they usually go to them for counseling, referrals and sometimes are invited as guest speakers during community gatherings.

5.0 Lessons Learnt

1. During monitoring visits, we learnt that fidelity clubs involved in activities aimed at improving the livelihoods of families like poverty eradication activities through income generation and rotational loans are performing far better and stand a chance of staying united for long. 2. We also learnt that with the increasing numbers of couples knowing their statutes and cases of behaviour change at community level led by fidelity club members, stigma decreases, uptake of couple services and demand for the FAITH project activities is steadily increasing.

6.0 Challenges
1. The clubs kept together by other activities other than those of the FAITH project to keep risk being swayed from the original purpose of the very existence. 2. The unprecedented demand for FAITH project activities is not reciprocated by adequate resources to have the project scaled up. 3. Whereas demand for modern family planning services in high among couples, access to the modern family planning services for couples is still a challenge. Most family decisions hinge on men most of whom are not ready to embrace FP. 4. The negative reactions and negligence of Catholic founded health facilities to some methods of family planning.

7.0 Planned activities for the next quarter

During the next quarter, HCU through the FAITH project intends to: Support linkages to Couple HIV counseling and Testing services among couples in long term stable unions in Kamuli district Support HERO couples to reach out to other members for couple services.
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FAITH Project Quarterly Report October December 2012

KAMULI DISTRICT

Monitor, evaluate and provide support supervision to the FAITH Project in Kamuli Conduct review meeting with stakeholders