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| ORGANISATION: | CHILDHEALTH ADVOCACY INTERNATIONAL (CAI) |
| AREA: | KAMPALA & KAYUNGA DISTRICT, UGANDA |
| GRANT PERIOD: | 2002-2008 |
| BENEFICIARIES: | 680 HIV INFECTED AND 2,000 AFFECTED CHILDREN |
CAI was founded by leading paediatricians in 1995 to improve maternal and child health worldwide by, helping local nurses and doctors to improve care of the sickest children & by collaborating with government and local community based organisations.
CAI in Uganda noticed that orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) frequently lack access to medical treatment due to: the cost of treatment and travel costs; lack of available & affordable drugs and carers not being able to leave other young children to travel with one sick child.
They approached EJAF to fund a way to reach these children and we helped them to establish a mobile healthcare clinic for HIV infected and affected children in Kampala in 2002. The programme linked closely with the local hospital and provided a range of services including antiretroviral treatment (ART) and support. In 2004 the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) took over the long term running of this programme.
EJAF are now funding the replication of this model of support in Kayunga district. This programme is reaching an additional 400 infected & many more affected children with over 160 HIV positive children already initiated on ART. Other elements of the programme include:
- A "Needs Assessment Tool" which looks at the needs of both the infected child and their family and refers them, as necessary, to their nutrition/food security programme, social work team or local clinic.
- Support groups for carers, teenagers and children, each attended by approx 100 people per month.
- A child friendly clinic at the District Hospital.
- Free medicines secured from Makere University and food parcels from the World Food Programme (WFP).
- Provision of seeds and training for food security.