Uganda
The Ugandan government is known for its progressive HIV/AIDS policy which has resulted in a decrease in the national HIV prevalence rate. However, prevention of mother-to-child transmission remains a major challenge, with almost 30,000 children being infected with HIV each year in the absence of PMTCT interventions.*
*UNAIDS 2009 AIDS Epidemic Update and UNAIDS 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic
| OVERVIEW: (As of July 2012) | |
| Program inception | 2010 |
| Sites | 28 |
| Site Coordinators | 28 |
| Mentor Mothers | 32 |
| Adult HIV prevalence* | 6.5% |
*Estimate, UNAIDS Report of the Global AIDS Epidemic 2010
m2m Uganda is one of m2m’s newest programs, having launched in June 2010. mothers2mothers is directly implementing the program through the USAID-funded STAR-EC (Strengthening TB and HIV/AIDS responses in East Central Uganda) project, with m2m being a key partner in a consortium led by JSI. In the first six months of operation, mothers2mothers opened 20 sites in the East Central region of Uganda. The mothers2mothers curriculum has been adapted to fit the PMTCT landscape in Uganda and address national guidelines and policies. One such guideline is the inclusion of a woman’s family in her pregnancy and treatment -- family support groups exist at all m2m sites. Mentor Mothers provide emotional and psychosocial support to their clients’ partners and children and give the families an opportunity to speak openly, receive information and help ensure that
both mother and child are healthy.
'[Before m2m opened] nobody dared to show me around. I was left on my own and it is
by the grace of God that I even managed to have an HIV-negative child. There was no
post-test counseling and everything looked so gloomy.'
(Nekesa, Mentor Mother)
