CDC Country Director Lauds Mildmay Uganda for Accelerating Epidemic Control in Mubende Region

The CDC Director, Dr. Lisa Nelson has lauded Mildmay Uganda for the tremendous efforts achieved under the Accelerating Epidemic Control Project in the Mubende Region.

Dr. Lisa thanked Mildmay Uganda and the Mubende Regional Referral Hospital management for the strong partnership that has enabled great results recorded. “I wish to thank Mildmay for the great partnership that we have enjoyed under this project,” revealed Dr. Lisa Nelson. “I wish to also thank the foot soldiers who continue to tirelessly work to end the epidemic, we have a lot of opportunities to build on what we have achieved, and we will continue to support you.”

Dr. Lisa also thanked the regional referral hospital for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that CDC will continue to support its efforts in the fight with more funding. She welcomed suggestions for more robust innovations in digital data management systems that would cut out delays of data delivery and duplication of results. Dr. Lisa was accompanied by a team from Ministry of Health, and Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) that was led by the Dean, Associate Professor, Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze. MakSPH's Monitoring and Evaluation Unit has been offering support in Health Information Systems activities implemented in the region alongside Mildmay Uganda.

On behalf of Mildmay Uganda, Executive Director, Dr. Barbara Mukasa, thanked the Director, CDC and partners for the great support towards saving lives through the Accelerating Epidemic Control project. “I thank CDC for the great support and more specifically Dr. Lisa for this field visit,” said Dr. Barbara. “We are thankful for the support towards getting Mubende Regional Referral Hospital a generator on such short notice when they needed it. We are excited to walk with CDC, we continue to learn more with every visit you make to check on our progress.”

The meeting was preceded by a tour of the hospital, checking on its COVID-19 response infrastructure, the Mildmay Uganda run Antiretroviral Clinic, visits to selected beneficiaries of the DREAMS Project (inspecting what they are doing since graduating from the program), a member of the Young Adolescent Programme Support (YAPS) Project that has to-date recruited 103 youths in the region, and an inspection of the Called Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI), a technology that allows respondents to listen to prerecorded survey questions through headphones and record responses using a touch screen or keypad. Dr. Lisa also toured the Community Pharmacy in Mubende that dispenses ART to clients that are stable attached to the regional referral hospital, which reduces traffic at the hospital. She also made a visit to the Early Childhood Education Center at Kasambya Health Center III that facilitates early learning for children whose parents are on ART. The ECD, it was noted, has helped many mothers adhere to treatment with persistent requests from their children to take them to play, and in that, they are always active in recieving their medication.

Mildmay Uganda is its final year of implementing the 05-year CDC-supported Accelerating Epidemic Control Project in the districts of Mityana, Mubende, Luweero, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi and Nakasongola, which make up the Mubende Region. The primary objective of this project is to accelerate HIV/AIDS epidemic control and attain the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals using the Test and Start approach combines with efficient models of service delivery; care and treatment services and essential laboratory services, targeted HIV testing services (HTS), prevention of transmission among Key Populations, and Priority populations, TB/HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment, eMTCT, and services to OVCs.