Bibliography

Uganda’s struggle against HIV/AIDS has been through three phases. The first phase started with the visionary leadership of H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni way back in 1986. He saw that this was a deadly disease without a cure and sounded an alarm loud enough to enable the people of Uganda to rise up against this disease. This first phase accordingly consisted largely of public information campaigns which raised awareness levels and resulted in behaviour change and the decline in prevalence of HIV in the population. This was carried out through the Aids Control Program in the Ministry of Health but with the President personally chairing a number of planning meetings. The second phase followed the realization that HIV/AIDS called for multi-sectoral action. It therefore consisted of the building of institutions and centers of excellence for coordinating the national response not just to prevent the spread of new infections, but also to provide care and support to those infected and affected and through research to seek solutions for the future. This was done through legislation that set up the Uganda Aids Commission as a coordinating agency. This has created an enabling national environment for multiple players to participate within clearly defined boundaries. During this phase, centers of excellence such as JCRC, the Blood Transfusion Service, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Mild May, Hospice, etc., Collaborative research with international partners such as Case Western Reserve University, Johns Hopkins, CDC, Medical Research Council of the UK and many others. This has also made it possible for communities to set up thousands of NGOs such as TASO, NACWOLA, ….and many small ones in districts, towns and villages across our land. The whole country was switched on to fight the epidemic and international partners were harnessed in very productive partnerships.