STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY STRUCTURES FOR SUSTAINED ART PROVISION IN LYANTONDE DISTRICT (funded by Pharmacists without Boarders, Sweden).
RACOBAO is implementing a 2 year project aimed at reinforcing adherence among people living with AIDS on ART. This project aims at consolidating achievements of earlier ART projects funded by Pharmacists without Boarders through improved co-ordination and networking, increased advocacy for better service provision, and sustained capacity building of community structures for better service delivery.
Under this project RACOBAO aims at increased adherence through lobbying for Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) provision at lower health units, RACOBAO lobbies the DHO to accredit lower health centers as static ART sites nearer to PLHIV, this is also followed by collaborating with TASO and Uganda Cares to train health workers from lower level health units in ART management, consequently the DHO has accredited 02 out of the 04 health centers as static ART sites.
HIV/AIDS service providers strengthened their coordination through the quarterly meetings of the District NGO forum. The project is also mobilizing PLHIV into networks for social action and facilitates their quarterly meetings through which they are able to successfully lobby for funds for their project.
The quarterly meetings have also increased advocacy for increased ART service delivery in Lyantonde District through social action of Sub-county AIDS Committees, sensitizing communities about rights of PLHIV especially to treatment, as well as advocating for accreditation of the remaining 02 health centers as static ART sites.
The project strengthened referral networks for provision of ART treatment and support services to 1,000 PLHIV in Lyantonde which was facilitated through a service provider mapping exercise that led to production of a referral directory and referral tools.