About one million and four hundred thousand people are currently living with HIV in Uganda. Of all new infections, 29 percent were among adolescent girls and young women despite this group only representing 10 percent of its population (Uganda Aids commission 2021). Young mothers living with HIV have multi-layered issues to manage, including pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, alongside lifelong antiretroviral therapy, preventing HIV transmission to their infant, potentially caring for a child with HIV, mental health challenges and often HIV associated stigma and discrimination. Young mothers and their children are at greater risk of HIV infection as well as poverty, violence, exclusion, poor education, and early childhood developmental delays. A high number of children and pregnant and lactating young women living with HIV are still unaware of their HIV status or are not able to start or continue their treatment. Various barriers are hindering them from accessing or to continue accessing services they need to live healthy lives or to ensure children are born and remain HIV free (WHO/ UNICEF, 2021).
Although access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among children and young people living with HIV has increased in recent years, adherence to medication and viral suppression remain challenges. Evidence of benefits of Community support platforms such as support groups, Kids Clubs, and peer networks is growing and reflects a range of models and approaches. These provide safe spaces for children and young mothers to meet with peers, support medication adherence, deliver health and life skills education, and facilitate linkages with clinic visits and social services hence promoting adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and help maintain viral suppression in youth living with HIV.
Joy for children Uganda is implementing BLOOM Project in 5 sub counties in Kyenjojo district. The project works to improve maternal and child HIV outcomes for young mothers and their children in Kyenjojo district in Uganda by 2026 and aiming at:
- Reduction of vertical transmission for children born to young mothers during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding/lactation period;
- Improved treatment coverage, adherence and retention in care for young mothers living with HIV;
- Improved treatment coverage and outcomes for children living with HIV who have a young mother.
We leverage on Community Health Workers to bring services closure to families and children through conducting home visits to follow up on clients, refer children or mothers for testing as well as raise awareness on better feeding, SRHR and GBV.
Joy for Children Uganda (JFCU) leverages Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to strengthen community resilience. Through VSLA groups, caregivers access transport loans to attend clinic visits, facilitating improved ART adherence and continuity of care. These savings groups not only reduce financial barriers such as transport costs but also foster social capital, shared accountability, and financial literacy within the community.
JFCU has conducts trainings for HIV service providers on delivering HIV Treatment and care to enhance individual competencies but also improve referral health systems, identify young mothers and children living with HIV and AIDS and ensure they get into care sustainably by referring them regularly to access drugs for treatment of opportunistic infections and other illnesses associated with HIV. These empowered health teams engage women, families, and local groups in Prevention of Mother‑to‑Child Transmission services, improving uptake, retention, and adherence to care and urge communities to normalize testing and treatment.
Great strides have been made in HIV prevention in Uganda, yet there is an urgent need to scale up Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to economically empower caregivers by helping them overcome social, economic, and psychological barriers that impede retention of children in HIV care, integrating child‑focused protection and social drivers through parenting support, caregiver mentoring, and community-led safeguarding initiatives strengthens retention and reduces vulnerabilities and combining economic empowerment (cash/capability), caregiver and child support, and peer-driven youth mobilization, these strategies build a holistic, community-led response that fosters retention in pediatric HIV care and advances prevention outcomes across Uganda.
Uganda has achieved significant reductions in pediatric HIV and AIDS-related mortality, with nearly universal ART coverage for pregnant and breastfeeding women and a 77% decline in mother-to-child transmission compared to 2010, Despite this success, recent trends show stagnation in diagnosing children and achieving viral suppression, underscoring the need for urgent, community-centered action. To sustain gains and realize the national vision of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, Uganda must strengthen and expand community-led mechanisms including VSLAs that economically empower caregivers, integrated child protection programming, and youth-driven peer mobilization. Together with systems for accountability and service quality monitoring (e.g., scorecards and feedback tools), these strategies enhance pediatric care retention, foster trust in health services, and accelerate prevention and treatment outcomes. By anchoring HIV prevention in community-led empowerment, Uganda can remove barriers to care, reinforce adherence and retention, and galvanize youth engagement creating a resilient foundation for an HIV-free future.
