CONTINUITY OF TB, MALARIA AND HIV SERVICES UNDER THE EQUITY RESPONSE IN UGANDA

As you may be aware, Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) is mandated to offer overall leadership in the coordination and management of the HIV/AIDS National Response, overall M&E for the national HIV response, Resource mobilization, Lead the policy & strategy development among other roles. We are part of the partnership.

You may also be aware that the Government of Uganda is committed to the goal of ending AIDS as a Public Health threat by 2030, as well as ending TB and malaria under the equity response. We also recognize that this goal cannot be achieved unless the country addresses structural barriers such as legal impediments, and issues such as human rights, stigma, discrimination, gender inequality and gender-based violence.

As a country, human rights are fundamental under the constitution of the republic, 1995. The country has ensured that people’s rights and dignity are upheld in accordance to the constitution. This is evidenced in the many International and Regional Human Rights instruments that Uganda has ratified including the Universal Declaration on Human and People’s Rights among others.

It is on this basis that the country developed a framework; “Leaving No One Behind: A National Plan for Achieving Equity in Access to HIV, TB and Malaria Services in Uganda 2020-2024 to strengthen coordinated action for the removal of human rights, stigma and gender related barriers to services and for the achievement of health equity for the country’s population, in all its diversity. The implementation of this plan is spearheaded by the Multi-Sectoral Equity Plan steering committee with its secretariat at UAC, using a whole government approach. The Committee provides leadership and coordination to mobilize commitment, and to ensure accountability across the multi-sectoral stakeholders in the HIV, TB and malaria responses in Uganda for the removal of human rights, stigma and gender related barriers to services and for the achievement of health equity for the country’s population, in all its diversity. The committee convenes quarterly, save for the last half of last year, where you held meetings on a monthly basis to clear the backlog of issues due to delayed constitution and operationalisation of the equity secretariat.

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