Project Overview
The JCRC Clinton Foundation Program is a result of an agreement that was made between the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) and JCRC in November 2007.
The CHAI program aims to provide technical and financial assistance to pediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment organizations of Uganda and increase access to high-quality care and treatment for HIV/AIDS for the children of Uganda.
The overall aim of the CHAI program is to increase the number of children enrolled into HIV/AIDS care including provision of antiretroviral drugs and enhance children’s adherence to treatment. This program has worked closely with the TREAT project at JCRC and its partners.
By the end of March 2008, the total number of children active on ART at all JCRC sites was 4520 compared to 30946 adults while the total number of children in HIV care was 7616, meaning that 12.7% of all JCRC clients were children.
Major CHAI activities
- Conducting community sensitizations through radio, drama, community mobilization campaigns and talks; these are sometimes integrated with VCT, this is geared towards increasing the number of children testing for HIV infection and therefore those accessing care
- Home visits and carrying out outreach activities (mobile clinics)
- Facilitating workshops/get-together parties for children – Caretakers and adolescents
- Health talks
- Participating in CME’s
Results/achievements
- Increased number of children tested for HIV infection, children in HIV care and children enrolled on to the ART program
- Establishing more outreach clinics (mobile clinics) in the communities
- Increasing staff training in comprehensive paediatric HIV/AIDS care and management of children with malnutrition
- Reduced workload in the previously high volume clinics because of the staff seconded by the program to the various RCEs
- More communities sensitized on the importance of bringing children early for HIV testing
- More infants diagnosed early for HIV infection hence accessing HIV care early
- Child friendly clinics, that is; all clinics have specific days for seeing children and these are seen along with their caretakers, the children also receive a drink and snack as they wait at the clinic
Challenges
- One of the main challenge has been lack of transport sometimes to conduct home visits and outreach activities
- Follow up of the children has not been easy as it is difficult to sometimes trace the children in their communities/homes
- Not being able to provide a comprehensive package of care for the children