[UgaBYTES] Telecentre gives hope to People living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda

[Dean Mulozi]

Hi Betty, 
Your posting from HIV/Aids Uganda help line expriences to people to people living with HIV/AIDS is very motivating. This is an important innovation in Uganda and can be also be taken by other countries. In Zambia we have similar help line through the use of mobile SMS being spearheaded by a local NGO.   

But I think that community telecenters having resources can also initiate similar intiatives targetting HIV/Aids positive people and in other sectors such as agriculture and education. 
   

Dean Mulozi,   
ZAA-ICT/SATNET Regional Facilitator,   
Private Bag 195x Ridgeway,   
Lusaka,   
Zambia.

Contact Phone:   260 211 234 627 
Mobile:          260 978 034196
 


--- On Wed, 8/13/08, Betty Iyamuremye <biyamuremye at ugabytes.org> wrote:

> From: Betty Iyamuremye <biyamuremye at ugabytes.org>
> Subject: [UgaBYTES] Telecentre gives hope to People living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 1:30 AM
> Support on Aids and Life through Telephone helpline (SALT)
> is a centre
> through which People Living With HIV/Aids (PLHAs) are
> counseled and guided
> online.
> 
> The telecentre that was formed in 2003 by Uganda Aids
> Commission under the
> National Forum for PLHAs Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU)
> caters for PLHAs
> under stigmatization, as well as those that are too sick
> and therefore
> cannot reach health centres.
> 
> Samuel James Kibanga, National Coordinator, NAFOPHANU in an
> interview said
> discrimination and stigmatization against PLHAs is mainly
> caused by
> HIV/AIDS being a life-threatening disease, and religious or
> moral beliefs
> that portray HIV/AIDS as a result of moral fault (such as
> promiscuity or
> 'deviant sex').
> 
> “Given the fact that stigma still lives in our society
> today, many people
> fear to access health and counseling centres in Uganda such
> as The Aids
> Support Organisation(TASO), Joint Clinical Research
> Centre(JCRC),” Kibanga
> added.
> 
> When asked about the effectiveness of the centre, Kibanga
> said that PLHAs
> who access the centre are grateful and have out it to
> greater use. He said
> the patients dial 0414-272080 or 0414-272082 to seek help
> from three well
> trained and professional counselors on a daily basis.
> 
> On average, 20 patients access the centre every day. Stella
> Akentutso,
> Programme manager, NAFOPHANO highlighted the challenge of
> high costs of
> airtime used by the patients. “We are looking at a time
> when we can
> provide toll free services,” she said.
> 
> She added that though the services are quite expensive for
> patients, they
> have managed to change lives of PLHAs especially those that
> are
> stigmatized.
> 
> Discrimination has spread rapidly, fuelling anxiety and
> prejudice against
> the groups most affected, as well as those living with HIV
> or AIDS which
> remains an enormous barrier to effectively fighting the
> global epidemic.
> 
> 
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