U.S. Ambassador Visits Southwestern Uganda

U.S. Ambassador Steven A. Browning travels to Southwestern Uganda this week, where he will be visiting U.S. government HIV-AIDS, economic development and environmental projects, and meeting with officials and local community representatives in Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale and Buhomo.  This trip (June 26-29) is the fourth in a series of travel Ambassador Browning is undertaking in order to familiarize himself with various regions of Uganda.
 
In Mbarara on June 26, the Ambassador will meet with Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Vice Chancellor Frederick Kayanja, and see the U.S. Educational Advising Satellite Center located in the MUST library.  The Satellite Center provides information and counseling to students in western Uganda who are interested in pursuing educational opportunities at colleges and universities in the United States. 

At the MUST Teaching Hospital, the Ambassador will have the chance to visit the Mulago and Mbarara Joint AIDS Program (MJAP), and see the Routine Counseling and Testing program supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through funding from President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).  The Routine Counseling and Testing program offers HIV-AIDS counseling and testing to all patients of the hospital.  The advantages of routine testing in health care facilities are that since the test is offered to everyone, HIV prevention is reinforced for both HIV positive and negative individuals, and stigma and discrimination are reduced.  Routine counseling and testing at health care facilities also means that there can be early linkage to comprehensive HIV care.

 The Ambassador’s visit to MUST Teaching Hospital will conclude with the launch of a new laboratory, the Joint Clinical Research Center’s Regional Center of Excellence.  Prior to the establishment of this state-of-the-art laboratory, clients of Mbarara University Hospital had to travel to Kampala or send samples to specialized centers for advanced HIV/AIDS laboratory tests.  The Mbarara Center of Excellence – which receives PEPFAR funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development -- will also serve as a regional training and quality assurance center for hospital laboratories in the entire southwestern region.

 On June 27, Ambassador Browning will visit USAID-funded projects in Ntungamo, including water spring and school projects managed by Africare, and the Pearl Flowers hydroponic rose farm, which receives Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Program (APEP) support.  

The following day, June 28, in Kabale, the Ambassador will observe the anti-malaria indoor residual spraying pilot project being carried out by the Research Triangle Institute with USAID support from President Bush’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).  The PMI is a five-year $1.2 billion program to support malaria prevention and treatment in selected countries.  Uganda was one of three initial countries chosen to kick-off the initiative.  Through this initiative, the U.S. government will be supporting indoor residual spraying in selected areas, long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, treatment for pregnant women, and lifesaving drugs.
 
Finally, the Ambassador will travel to Buhoma to look at USAID-supported environmental projects related to Bwindi Impenatrable National Park.  He will have the opportunity to visit the Conservation Through Public Health program in Buhoma, which is working to help conserve key wildlife animals, including the mountain gorilla, and protect them from disease transmission.  Ambassador Browning will participate with the African Wildlife Foundation country representative in a gorilla trek to learn more about mountain gorilla conservation activities.  In Buhoma, the Ambassador will also tour the Bwindi Community Health Center, where medical missionaries Dr. Scott Kellerman and his wife Carole are offering medical care and services to the Batwa community. 

For further information, please contact Alyson Grunder, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy (Tel: 41-259-791, ext. 6310) or email: grunderal@state.gov.