Rural Health Program | AOET Uganda

The AOET-Uganda Health Center continues to work with rural communities - providing HIV/AIDS Education/Awareness and treatment.

Departmental objectives

 

  • To identify, and assist with emphasis on grassroot participation in form of Providing Rural people with accessible Medical attention in their respective Villages. Involvement of Local Council leaders and existing community based programmes is of paramount importance to maximize community participation and continuity.

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  • To cater for the interests and needs of Children by fostering their medical needs and other physical and emotional needs.
    • Uganda health Center
  • To add to Government’s effort to provide HIV/AIDS Awareness to rural communities through sensitization activities in form of Seminars…
  • To increase awareness and accessibility to voluntary counseling and testing.
To reduce HIV prevalent rates through awareness and interactive forums for rural communities and students.

 

 

Hundreds of people are treated weekly, and thousands have been reached with medical care this year!

 

Philosophy

AOET believes that the holistic approach to HIV and health care involves preventive and curative measures. We therefore run a medical care clinic and community sensitization campaigns as a way of reducing the risks of infection, slow the increase of orphans and providing information for care for those already infected.

 

Analysis

In the Jinja District almost all  households have had at least one member infected and several affected by AIDS; in the Kamuli area it was 60% (AOET 2004; World Vision Uganda 1998).

Implementation

  • Our clinic in Jinja with an updated laboratory treats 900 HIV/AIDS patients and serves a population of 20,000
  • We’ve tested 2,050 patients for HIV/AIDS by March 2005
  • Our mobile clinic visits rural areas twice a week – serving ten regular outreach sites
  • Our HIV/AIDS awareness program travels far into rural areas and is an integral part of all our projects
  • We run support networks for those living with HIV/AIDS with an office for Bugembe Net work of PLWHA.
  • With AOET’s keen interest in children, all sponsored children are provided with;
  1. Regular physical assessment.
  2. Follow-up medical care to those that have medical problems/needs.
  3. Referral for treatment to other medical facilities if necessary.
  4. Liaison with school administrations to provide HIV/AIDS education to all children in schools where the sponsored children go, which is a bonus for other children who are not in this program to benefit with this component.

 

Furthermore, AOET’s community representatives inform rural communities of the importance of good diet, hygiene and sanitation; we encourage local expertise in the use of traditional herbal remedies, train community leaders in good health management, and target faith based institutions to offer health care education to their members.

 

CARE SERVICES

AOET is increasingly engaged in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS amongst orphans and the community in general.  AOET Educates the community and families on HIV/AIDS related issues, provides Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services through conducting our educational and care and support programs.

The goal is to provide a safe environment for the families that adopt OVCs to be able to raise their families with lower risks of HIV infections. We also provide the families with subsidized medical care for minor illnesses as a campaign towards their family savings program. This will be a continued program for these families.

 

In the health Care component we offer:

  1. Annual physical assessment of all sponsored children.
  2. Give follow-up medical care to all students that have medical problems/needs.
  3. Referral for treatment to other medical facilities if necessary.
  4. We liaise with school administrations to provide HIV/AIDS education to all children in schools where the sponsored children go, which is a bonus for other children who are not in this program to benefit with this component.

 

In Brief,

HIV prevention services

 

The HIV prevention services provided by AOET include Education of  the community on HIV/AIDS related issues, Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services through mobile clinics in the community and life skills training for children.

 

Care and support services

The care and support services provided by AOET include:

 

  • provision of home based care;
  • counselling support;
  • treatment of opportunistic infections;
  • income generating activities;
  • shelter construction;
  • vocational skills;
  • linkages with health units and other service providers;
  • spiritual support for those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS;
  • social support groups;
  • material support to those infected and affected and OVC support.

 

40% of the participants ranked IGAs as the best care and support service followed by OVC support (30%) and material support to People Living with AIDS (PLWAs).