LAUNCH OF PEPFAR-FUNDED HIV/AIDS BASIC CARE PACKAGE

We invite journalists to cover the official launch of the HIV/AIDS Basic Care Package at 2.30 pm on November 10, 2005 at the Mulago Medical School Quadrangle.  The acting Director General of Health, Dr. Zaramba will be the guest of honor at the launch.  U.S. Embassy Chargé d’affaires William E. Fitzgerald will also be in attendance, among other dignitaries.  

Developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) and Population Services International Uganda, the Basic Care Package enables HIV positive people to live longer and healthier lives -- whether or not they are on antiretroviral drugs.  The Package is well-suited for resource-poor settings because it builds on existing public health interventions to deliver high impact results for individuals, families and communities.  The Basic Care Package, an important part of Uganda’s comprehensive HIV-AIDS prevention and care plan, is funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The Basic Care Package is a patient-managed, home-based care system that empowers HIV-positive people to prevent opportunistic infections, delay the progression of HIV to AIDS and prevent transmission of HIV to others.  The components of the Package were designed and selected based on evidence-based research and data collected from Ugandan health care evaluations.  It contains:

1. Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis (a broad-spectrum antibiotic recommended by the World Health Organization and the Uganda Ministry of Health);
   
2. Long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets;
   
3. A water disinfection product and vessel;
   
4. Family HIV counseling and testing information, including educational materials on safer sexual behavior;
   
5. Condoms, as appropriate, to people with HIV.

Over 200,000 persons with HIV will receive the Basic Preventive Care Package kits over the next five years.  The kits will be distributed by Uganda-based care and support organizations across the country.
If you require any additional information, please contact Sam Nganga (Tel: 077 700 667) of Population Services International Uganda.