HIV HEALTH ADVOCACY

According to District Health Information System (DHIS 2,  2021), HIV prevalence for the Dokolo District is 6.6% with a drastic reduction (60%) in the number of new HIV infections between 2010 and 2020. 37% Of all new HIV infections were among young people aged 15-24yrs with 79% of these new HIV infections among young Women and Adolescent girls.

 

Despite representing just 10% of the total population whereas Retention is determined at 6 months, 12 months and 24 months after initiation on ART records 86% of clients were reported to be in care 6 months prior to starting ART. Retention at 12 months and 24 months was reported at 76% and 79% respectively due to Poor psychosocial support. Poor retention is as a result of lack of proper psychosocial support offered to PLHIV.

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Support Orphans and Women Initiative (SOWI), working through the established government structures, has been mobilizing and sensitizing the community on GBV, HIV prevention, care & treatment, and capacity building in the three sub-counties of Amwoma, Kangai and Agwata. In the past one year of operation in Dokolo, 350 individuals have been reached with HIV prevention, 90 individual with care and treatment.  

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With the above success, SOWI would like to widen HIV services to cover more psychosocial support offered to clients at the facility. We need to scale it up at the community level through:

• Psychotherapy groups

• Home visits

• GBV support to improve livelihood, promoting and encouraging disclosure in order to mitigate both external and internal (self-acceptance that one is living with HIV) stigma 

• Community HIV care support and treatment of the affected community of the above three Sub-Counties.

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Join hands with SOWI to help address these challenges and further implement the solution today.