From 2004 to 2012, AIDSRelief Uganda provided HIVcare and treatment to nearly 88,000 patients, including45,000 who enrolled on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy(ART) at 23 treatment sites. Consortium membersCatholic Relief Services, University of Maryland Schoolof Medicine Institute of Human Virology, FuturesGroup, and Childrenâs AIDS Fund worked hand in handwith local partners to build the skills and systems neededto support high-quality care. A deep commitmentto partnership underscored AIDSReliefâs relationshipsand capacity strengthening activities, whichculminated in late 2011 when two local partnersâtheUganda Episcopal Conference and the Uganda ProtestantMedical Bureauâwon new grants to receivePEPFAR funds directly and assume full responsibilityfor managing the program.This report outlines key outcomes and lessons learnedduring the eight-year program. It also describesapproaches and methods that contributed to the programâssuccess.In the process, AIDSRelief has provided hope and hasafforded longer and higher-quality lives to thousandsof people affected by HIV, particularly the poor andthose in rural areas. At the height of the program in2009, about 15% of Ugandans on ART were receivingtreatment through AIDSRelief-supported facilities. Inthe last nine years, rapid upscaling efforts have meantthat ART has now become common and patients nolonger have to travel long distances to access careand treatment.
