Community Action to Protect Children from AIDS (CAPCA) project:

In 2002, with support from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), IMAU started a project entitled “Community Action to Protect Children from AIDS” (CAPCA). 

In this project, religious leaders from both Muslim and Christian faiths as well as Local Council leaders were trained in how to mobilize and educate their communities to increase utilization of services for prevention of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT).  The training was done using a curriculum, which includes scientific information on PMTCT issues such as benefits of PMTCT, safe infant feeding and HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.  In addition, it includes faith teachings from both Muslim and Christian faiths that promote utilization of PMTCT services.  Seven hundred and fifty community educators were trained in Kampala District in 2002, and another seven hundred and fifty community educators were later trained in Wakiso District in 2004/5.  These community educators educate their communities through sermons, group talks, mini-lectures and home visits.  In addition, some of the community educators participate in radio programmes for the general public.  The community educators record their activities regularly on monitoring forms.

In 2005, the community educators in both Kampala and Wakiso districts educated 105,676 males and 120,280 females.  Between April 2006 and March 2007 they educated 113,618 males and 115,564 females.  The communities being mobilized and educated do appreciate and respond to the activities of the project.  Some people from the mobilized communities take IMAU referral cards to sites where PMTCT services are provided.   Between April 2007 and 31st December 2007 3,405 pregnant women presented IMAU referral cards to antenatal clinics were referred for PMTCT.  The community educators meet monthly and during these meetings, they regularly request IMAU to continue and strengthen the CAPCA project. 

IMAU started providing PMTCT services by its own trained service providers at Saidina Abubakar Islamic hospital in September 2005.  Later on PMTCT services were offered at Saidina Abubakar Nursing Home as well as outreach PMTCT services at 10 other health facilities performed by IMAU service providers.Between 1st March 2007 and 31st March 2008 , ... pregnant women received PMTCT services at these facilities.

CONTRIBUTION OF THE CAPCA PROJECT TO THE NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY
This project contributes to the national strategy for prevention of HIV infection.  In particular, the CAPCA project contributes to Goal 1 and objective 2 in the National Strategic plan for HIV/AIDS in Uganda 2007/08 – 2011/12. The goal, objective and strategies are stated as follows:

Goal 1:  To reduce the incidence of HIV infection by 40% by 2012%.

Objective 2:  To reduce the HIV transmission from mother to child by 50% by 2012.

Strategic actions:

1. Integrate Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, especially family planning and HIV/AIDS service delivery targeting both women and men;
2. Roll out PMTCT programme to all Health Centres IIIs (HC IIIs);
3. Explore innovative approaches to increase administration and uptake of PMTCT services including Nevirapine or other ART combination prophylaxis and developing a home-based PMTCT program
4. Link mothers, fathers and babies to other prevention, care and treatment services.
5. Enhance targeted communication for PMTCT highlighting roles and benefits to girls, pregnant women and their partners, parents and communities as well as facilitating engagement of male partners to provide appropriate support;
6. Strengthen integration of food and nutrition support in PMTCT and maternal and child health programmes.

CAPCA PROJECT STRATEGY:
IMAU service providers and community educators encourage families with pregnant mothers to know their HIV status through voluntary counseling and testing.  IMAU service providers and community educators do this by conducting home visits to follow up pregnant mothers and support their families. 

IMAU provides antiretroviral therapy (ART) services at both Saidian Abubakar Islamic Hospital and Saidina Abubakar Nursing Home.  ART services are provided to pregnant women and their spouses who meet the criteria for receiving ART.  This is done with support from the Ministry of Health and Inter-religious Council of Uganda.

In providing these services IMAU will be applying the faith-based network model concept for delivery of integrated PMTCT services. 

PROJECT GOAL:
The project goal is to prevent HIV infection in the target communities which is expected to result in the reduction in HIV incidence among children and adults.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
The project objectives are as follows:

• To increase knowledge and improve attitudes and behaviours related to PMTCT in the target communities.
• To provide PMTCT services to the target communities.
• To increase utilization of PMTCT services by the target communities.

Download:  

Annual Report 2007/8

PMTCT Formative Study Report
Community Mobilisation Intervention Model for PMTCT