ViiV Health Care through PACF awarded THETA –Uganda a three-year grant (2016-2019) titled “Strengthening of community systems to eliminate loss to follow up in eMTCT” in short referred to as CSS-eMTCT. The project is being implemented in Oyam district in partnership with Oyam District Local Government Health Department.
The goal of the project is to reduce the rate of loss to follow-up to HIV prevention and lactating women across the eMTCT cascade by 98% in Oyam district through a sustainable family support system by 2018.
Project objectives; (i) To increase the knowledge of EMTCT and EID at the family level to 95% among 920 villages in Oyam by 2018, (ii) To establish and develop a psychosocial support network of family groups that reaches 100% of HIV positive pregnant and lactating women in Oyam district. (iii) To establish a community-led referred and follow-up system that reaches 100% of HIV+ pregnant/lactating women for EMTCT services by 2018.
Project Implementation Strategies Include; Family-focused eMTCT education, Peer-led Family Support Groups (FSG), Economic Empowerment for families of PLHIV, Harnessing traditional and cultural systems to support eMTCT, and Strengthening community health facility linkages.