The EMTCT Campaign in Busoga Region started with the Stakeholder’s Consultative Meeting which was held in the lush green gardens of the State Lodge in Jinja. The Meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers, MPs, the representative of the US Ambassador to Uganda, the UN Family, Development Partners, and officials from the MOH. Also in attendance were key stakeholders from the 10 Districts of the Busoga Region including: political leaders, key national and regional actors in the health sector, the district leadership, Civil Society, as well as cultural and religious leaders.
The objectives of the Stakeholder’s Consultative Meeting were:
- To provide a Forum for key stakeholders in the EMTCT Response to share information regarding EMTCT and HIV AND AIDS in general; and
- To discuss the challenge of teenage pregnancies and how this impacts the EMTCT Campaign and share recommendations to address the issue.
The Busoga Region EMTCT Regional Campaign was very effective in providing two months of intensive HIV and AIDS services across the Region. Throughout the Campaign awareness was created about EMTCT and HIV and AIDS in general, through the media and meetings with selected interest groups within the Region.
The findings of the MPs who conducted a Campaign against Teenage Pregnancies drew attention to the unique challenges the Region faces with regard to child abuse, poverty, the perils in the sugar cane industry and the northern transport corridor, all of which contribute to fueling the problem. The Campaign also brought out the importance of involving cultural and religious leaders as a means of addressing behavioral change.
