| Dear AWAC stakeholders,
Greetings from the Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC) Uganda. Following the unfortunate 24th January 2025, USA presidential Executive order “Ending Radical and wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and initial rescissions of harmful executive orders and Action”, AWAC received official project halting notifications and termination letters from PEPFAR/CDC Implementing Partners (IPs) who have been supporting AWAC Drop in Centre HIV interventions in Kampala, Wakiso and the greater Masaka region. This suspension and termination affect 80% of our DiC all programs, activities, personnel, or contracts promoting “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI)) and about 31% the organizational operations. Subsequently, AWAC Uganda is forced to terminate contracts of 13 Staff and 21 community Peer Educators providing comprehensive HIV services.
Nevertheless, we are still finding ways of dealing with this to bridge the gap caused by this loss of funding and we want to assure all our clients that our Drop-in Centre remains open – In Mengo- Kampala Drop-in Centre (DIC)- hosted by the Secretariat and Kyotera Regional Drop-in Centre (DiC), however with limited services.
As such, we are unable to provide integrated HIV prevention services for sex workers with multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities including;
– HTS- HIV awareness, testing and risk reduction counselling, including PEP, STI screening and treatment; demand creation for HIV prevention services to SWs including those with disabilities and women who use drugs/substance, adherence counselling and refills and other HIV Prevention options including PrEP initiation & escorted referral to facilities; Hepatitis B&C screening & information; Provision of sterile injecting equipment & information on safe injecting practices as well as referral for MAT using Women-Centred Harm Reduction & Substance Use services.
– There will also be no support for Condoms & lubricants distribution and tracking; wellness sessions and Self care targeting HIV affected persons, and Skilling & Economic Empowerment under Masaka and Wakiso. We are also unable to continue most of our community outreaches and door to door HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT), referrals and clients’ accompaniment, home visits and intense adherence counselling, community viral load bleeding, distribution of drug refill through Community drug distribution point and Community Art delivery points and Community Based Psycho Social Support sessions at the hotspot level in Kampala, Wakiso and greater Masaka.
All our other services in the country remain active to community, these including;
– Cervical cancer screening, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery and advocacy, Psycho Social Support sessions at AWAC DiCs/Safe spaces, AWAC Malaika hotline, refugee response both in urban and settlement settings, AGYW targeted services, standby CAHIV Plus team for public health emergencies (eg Mpox & Ebola), mentorship and capacity building, climate change prevention and response, health, economic empowerment and advocacy in the rest of the districts, GBV response and prevention and a dedicated focal person for harm reduction to provide guidance and psychosocial support for clients on MAT.
We remain committed to finding ways of enhancing access and integrate HIV services at our DiCs for all our clients during this difficult time and amidst the increasing public health emergencies like Mpox and Ebola which heavily affect our target communities.
Thank you for your understanding and please feel free to contact us on:
Tel:+256 774 603754
Email: awacuganda@gmail.com
AWAC Malaika tollfree Hotline: 0-800-333-177
Kyomya Macklean
Executive Director
AWAC |
