Promotion of Adolescent VCT Services Through Partnership with Faith/ Community Based and Civil Society Organizations, CARE Uganda-SHADO Project Experience

摘要

In Uganda, VCT has been identified as viable strategy and key entry point and essential component of HIV/AIDS prevention and care. VCT has been identified as core intervention in the comprehensive strategy of the government and its partners to address HIV/AIDS in Uganda. High quality VCT services should therefore be widely and consistently available (Uganda national policy guidelines on VCT July 2003). However, VCT services for young people have been very low and this has put them in vulnerable state of contracting HIV/AIDS. The UDHS (2000-2001) indicates that 31 (percent) of Uganda teenagers had begun child bearing, with almost 26(percent) having had a child and 6(percent) carrying their first child. Current HIV prevalence rates are estimated at 3.7 ?5.6(percent) of young women aged 15- 24, and 1.6- 2.4(percent) of young men. Also adolescent girls aged 15 - 19 years old account for 48(percent) of all maternal death (Uganda Ministry of Health Reproductive Health Division 5-year strategic plan 1999-2004). However, the assumption that availability of VCT services to the community will lead to all people to use them, is not always the case with young people.