humanitarian care uganda (hcu) kabale district quarterly report october 2012 – december 2012

HUMANITARIAN CARE UGANDA (HCU)

Project Title: Fighting AIDS In The Home (FAITH)

Project

KABALE DISTRICT QUARTERLY REPORT

October 2012 – December 2012

FAITH Project Quarterly Report October – December 2012 KABALE DISTRICT

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Acronyms

AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

CAO District Chief Administrative Officers

CHCT Couple HIV Counseling and Testing

DHO District Health Officers

FAITH Fighting AIDS In The Home Project

GLCs Good Life Clinics (UHMG supported private health facilities)

HCU Humanitarian Care Uganda

HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus

PHAs People living with HIV/AIDS

PMTCT Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV

RDC Resident District Commissioner

SMC Safe Male Circumcision

STI Sexually Transmitted Infections

UHMG Uganda Health Marketing Group

USAID United States Agency for International Development


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1.0 Introduction

This report is a product of a number of FAITH project activities in Kabale district. It therefore accounts what took place in the district

in relation to implementation of FAITH project.

FAITH – an acronym for Fighting AIDS In The Home project supports HIV prevention among couples and partners in long term

sexual relationships integrated in broader maternal and child health services. Objectively, the project looks forward to contribute tothe

reduction of new HIV infections among people in long term/stable unions and increasing awareness and utilization of services for a

good life.

As an implementing agency, Humanitarian Care Uganda received funding from USAID through UHMG to implement the FAITH

project in Kabale and other 8 districts of Kanungu, Mbale, Kabarole, Lira, Wakiso, Kamuli, Mukono and Kyenjojo. Working through

fidelity couple support groups popularly known as fidelity clubs, has enabled the project to increase couples and general community’s

access to HIV prevention, care and social support services; as a way of empowering them in their long term sexual relationships

harmoniously.

2.0 Quarterly Activity Performance Matrix

No. Activity Description Performance

Indicators

Target

Output

%age Comments /Performance

clarification 1. Promotion and

orientation of HERO

couples on a variety of

modern FP methods

No. of couples oriented 16couples 32persons 100% Accomplished. Thanks to the

effective mobilization and interest in

the project by HERO couples

2. Community education

and mobilization for

promotion of

faithfulness

No. of people in long

term sexual

relationships educated

and mobilized

11765

adults

8,410 adult

individuals

71% Ongoing. Affected by the limited

club meetings for review of progress

and gaps in the monitoring and

support supervision of project

activities.

3. Linkages for CHCT

among people in long

term sexual

No. of couples

mobilized for CHCT

and receiving their

2304

couples

314

couples

14% Ongoing. Affected by shortages of

test kits and the number of

outreaches per month which need to


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relationships results be increased due to the demand for

this service.

4. Mobilization for

Maternal Health

Services

No. of mothers

accessing Maternal

Health services

940

mothers

356mothers 38% Ongoing.

5. Mobilization for Child

Health Services

No. of Children

accessing Child Health

services

1567

children

552 children 35% Ongoing.

6. Mobilization and

referral for Safe Male

Circumcision

No. of adult males

embracing SMC for

HIV prevention

2131 adult

males

165adult

males

8% Ongoing

7. Marital Counseling No. of individuals

counseled on marital

issues to promote family

harmony

- 1241 Ongoing. Thanks to club meetings

and outreaches.

8. Support supervision and

monitoring visits

No. of visits conducted 8 visits 8 visits 100% Accomplished

3.0 Activity Implementation

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

Upon promotion of good life, HCU through the FAITH project procured a number of family planning products which included among

others Injectaplans, Implants, IUDs, NewFem, Softsure, Pilplanplus, O-condoms and protector condoms to help couples to have small

and manageable families. These were distributed to 3 Good Life Clinics (as shown in table 1 below).

Meanwhile to ensure that couples adopt their use, a sample of 32couples (2 couples from the 16 clubs) subscribing to the fidelity clubs

were oriented by medical person officers from UHMG supported GLCs through discussions and demonstrations on how to use these

products and later mobilize and refer other members of the community to such clinics where the products had been stocked. During

the delivery moments, chair persons of fidelity clubs were invited and witnessed the process.


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Table 1: List of family planning methods distributed in Kabale district

S/N ITEM Quantity supplied to Good Life Clinics

NYAKASHARARA HC III RUGARAMA HOSPITAL KIHEFO CLINIC

1 Injectaplans 1 Carton 2 cartons 2 Cartons

2 Implants 2 Cartons 1 Carton

3 IUDS 2 Cartons 50 Pieces

4 New Fem 2 Cartons 1 Carton

5 Soft Sure 1 Carton 1 Carton

6 Pilplans plus 1 Carton 2 Cartons 1 Carton

7 O-condoms 8 Small boxes 6 packets

8 Protector condoms 1 Carton 2 Cartons 2 Cartons

9 Aqua Safe ½ Carton ½ box 10 packs


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Fig 1

Fig 1: A medical officer noting down the type and quantities of family planning products being delivered as an HCU staff (in a cream

T-shirt) looks on

3.2 Community Education and Mobilization

Members of the Fidelity Clubsengaged community members through peer to peer education and community outreach visits. Issues

which may increase their vulnerability to HIV infection like sero discordant, PMTCT, family planning, STI management and care,

positive prevention, gender based violenceamong others were integrated into these community discussions. This was done to enable

couples explore the available options and opportunities and make informed decisions based on what to apply in a given situation In

total, 8410of which 3984 were men and 4426 women were reached by the HERO couples through interpersonal communication

approaches and small group discussions as presented in table 2 and 3 below.


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Table 2: Individuals reached by HERO couples during the ongoing couple communication & education on fidelity

District

OCT NOV DEC Total

Sub-county

Kabale Buhara 241 241 229 711

Bukinda 272 319 258 849

Maziba 217 243 253 713

Bubaare 274 308 292 874

Kyanamira 275 291 266 832

Kabale S Div 158 163 144 465

Kaharo 233 251 265 749

Kamuganguzi 111 133 120 364

Kitumba 80 79 73 232

Kabale N Div 148 173 164 485

Hamurwa 182 198 185 565

Rwamucucu 122 123 112 357

Muko 223 264 246 733

Kabale C Div 163 160 158 481

Total 2699 2946 2765 8410

Table 3: Summary of individuals reached by HERO couples by gender and age

Months District 15-24 years 25 years & above Total

M F M F

October - December 2012 Kabale 1896 2076 2088 2350 8410

3.3 Linkages for Couples HIV Counseling and Testing among couples

As a result of continued community outreaches aimed at mobilizing couples for HCT, HCU through the FAITH project and with

medical assistance from Good Life Clinicstested and supported284 couples to know their HIV statuses, and later on facilitate and


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promote disclosure and plan for their future in relation to care and treatment amongst couples. On top of that several couples were

referred for other couple services including family planning, STI management and other couple services during this quarter. The table

below shows the results of the tested couples in Kabale district during Oct-Dec 2012 quarter.

Table 4: Summary of Couple HIV Counseling and Testing results

Number of couples tested and received results Discordant Positive Negative

628individuals 12 couples 18 couples 284 couples

3.4 Mobilization for Maternal Health Services

As part of the package of services under the families’ prosper strategy of the FAITH project, Humanitarian Care Uganda together with

HERO couples to mobilized, sensitized couples in various communities on increased uptake of maternal and child health services. In

addition severalpeer referrals and follow-ups especially among pregnant mothers living with HIV/AIDS for PMTCT and family

planning through peer to peer interventions. Community mobilization outreaches for maternal health services were conducted with

reference to GLCs and government health facilities for the services. This was meant to promote safe motherhood, child survival and

care especially during pregnancy. Consequently a total number of 356mothers in Kabale District were mobilized and referred for

maternal health services uptake during the quarter in review.

3.5 Mobilization for Child Health Services

During the same quarter, HCU together with HERO couples subscribing to all fidelity clubs in KabaleDistrict mobilized, referred and

followed up 552 children for children health servicesthrough community outreaches.

3.6 Safe Male Circumcision

Through Peer to peer education and conducting of community outreach visits,HCU working with HERO couples engaged adult males

in their respective communities and encouraged them to embrace Safe Male Circumcision as one of the many alternatives for HIV

prevention. In total, 165 adult males were supported to undergo SMC in the districts during the quarter.


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3.7Marital Counseling

As a way to strengthen harmony and stability within families, Humanitarian Care Uganda through members of the Fidelity Clubs in

Kabale District mobilized and provided counseling sessions to community members on issues like promotion of faithfulness in

families, family planning, gender based violence, positive prevention and discordance among other issues. During the quarter, a total

of 1241 couples in benefited from a number ofcommunity and individual counseling sessions.

Put a table

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 increases.

6.0 Challenges

1. Clubs kept together by other activities other than those of the FAITH project 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.


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7.0 Planned activities for the next quarter During the next quarter, HCU through the FAITH project shall

Support linkages to Couple HIV counseling and Testing services among couples in long term stable unions in the project

districts

Support HERO couples to reach out to other members for couple services.

Monitor, evaluate and provide support supervision to the FAITH Project

Conduct quarterly review meetings with stakeholders

humanitarian care uganda (hcu) kabale district quarterly report october 2012 – december 2012

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