UAPCO'S BACKGROUND

With great pleasure I wish to present the problem of HIV in Uganda and the response by Government, of the Republic of Uganda, Non-government Organizations and the people to it.
Of course this includes the initiation of UAPCO and its activities.


The first HIV /Aids infection in Uganda were early as in 1982.In the Southern District of Rakai.By then not much was known about the disease, it was viewed as a mysterious condition that affected people for some mischief. They were alleged to have committed across the boarder in Tanzania.More or less as a spell of witchcraft.
Its victims were known to develop skin rushes, cough body, swellings, fever etc, hence death. No remedy was known by then. Many victims were admitted to hospitals but mainly to unable them to die in isolation from the community hence young middle aged people known to be out going social and sexually active but accidentally the most productive in their community.
Hence this drew much concern from the authorities. The government and ugandans became so concerned that publicity about the disease was encouraged, research was undertaken by the healthcare personnel .The result was that the disease was described as a characterized as similar to the infectious disease that affected homosexuals in United States of America.It was then referred as AIDS or HTLV and locally known as SLIM.

Scientific work was done in corroboration with experts from Europe and North America.Epidemiology studies were done.
We appreciate the volunteers who have helped us in various activities.we exist we apeal to every body to come and help UAPCO.
Among the non government organizations formed  by Mr Elijah Kyamuwendo Amooti in 1997 was UAPCO
The objective of UAPCO was to assist to the community in increasing awareness of and about AIDS,how to avoid contracting it,how to care for people leaving with HIV/AIDS.
We also set up a program of continuous community mobilization so as to generate local resources for our activities and we initiated corroboration with similar sister organizations for the same purpose.

We also set up working relations with authorities and community leaders at all levels to facilitate our activities.Currently UAPCO has a membership of 676 people drawn from all the sectors of the community like schools,women groups,Universities e.t.c.
UAPCO is run by the leadership consisting of a National executive committee of persons and District executive committees of persons in 6 out of 6 districts of the country.

Our annual budget is Ug shs 50 Million equivalent to 85,000 Dollars for our activities.
We have an annual general meeting in which district branch Chairmen present annual reports to the National headquarters.
All branches are audited annually and the nation headquaters.We submit annual reports to the government (NGO BOARD) Who can help UAPCO NGOs out side coutries indviduals etc currently we are funded by the uacp/world bank/GOU we are extreamly happy with them may GOD bless them.

For God And My Country

Elijah Amooti