Institutional Capacity Assessment of the aids control Program Uganda
Introduction 1.1 Background of the Assessment
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- 1.2 Profile of the STDs/HIV/AIDS Control Program
- 1.3 Study questions, goal and objectives
1.0 Introduction1.1 Background of the AssessmentHIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda has witnessed some changes over the years. Early successes in scaling up treatment programs to many infected people has now been replaced with a growing concern on how to ensure continued access to the life-saving drugs to the great majority of people already enlisted in treatment. Together with this also is a growing concern on how best to manage the dynamics and complexity of the changing epidemic, increased number of diverse international initiatives on HIV/AIDS, as well as changing economic and political contexts in the country. At the heart of the huge health sector response to HIV/AIDS is the AIDS Control Program (ACP) which is situated within the Ministry of Health. As a unit, the mandate of ACP is to lead and direct the health sector response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country. As the country re-strategizes to address the current realities of the epidemic, the questions still remain as to whether ACP in its current state has the requisite capacity to deal with the current realities of the epidemic in an effective and efficient manner. Therefore as part of the larger health sector HIV/AIDS response assessment exercise, an institutional assessment of the ACP was carried out as an initial step towards positioning it to discharge its critical mandate. 1.2 Profile of the STDs/HIV/AIDS Control ProgramThe National AIDS control programme (ACP) was established in 1986 and took off with an aggressive public media campaign that included print materials, radio, billboards, and community mobilization for a grass-roots offensive against HIV in Uganda. The ACP is currently situated within the department of National disease control (NDC) of the Directorate of Clinical and Community Services within the Ministry of Health. Their overall mandate is to provide leadership for the health sector response to HIV/AIDS in core areas such as;
According to the Health Sector HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan (HSHASP), the MOH/ACP is specifically responsible for technical coordination of all the program areas; ensure implementation of HIV/AIDS activities; resource mobilization/utilization and accountabilities; promote staff development; and mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS in workplace settings such as health facilities and offices. Currently the ACP is recognized widely as the lead institution in management of the health sector HIV response in Uganda. More than 100 personnel currently work for the ACP as regular government employees or employees deployed by partners in connection with specific projects. In the past, the ACP has been very active in conducting HIV/AIDS/STIs surveillance and special surveys such as MARPS studies. In carrying out most of these mandate, ACP is often supported by local and international partners including CDC, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, GLIA and GOU and have worked with many groups such PEPFAR IPs, UAC, AIC, line ministries. Even though ACP is located and operates from within the national ministry of health and without district offices, the activities of the center span the entire country. Given the magnitude of the health sector response, the question still remains as to the capacity of the ACP to deliver on its mandate. Current projects being implemented by ACP and sources of support are shown in the table (1) below Table 1: Projects overseen or implemented in collaboration with ACP
The central goal of the health sector HIV/AIDS response review is to generate a robust evidence base that will inform further strengthening of the systems for management and delivery of HIV/AIDS services in the country. Specific questions and objectives addressed in this ACP assessment are described below.
The main relevance of the institutional assessment of the AIDS Control Program to the overall health sector HIV/AIDS response review is to provide information about the capacity of ACP in relation to its mandate. This study therefore set out to address the following questions about the AIDS control program;
Primary objective To describe and make recommendations on the institutional capacity of the AIDS Control Program in relation to its role in the health sector response to HIV/AIDS in Uganda Secondary objective To provide evidence for strategic interventions which will strengthen ACPs role in directing and managing the health sector response to HIV/AIDS in Uganda
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