These are the programs that center at the Kitojo ten-room clinic under the medical direction of  Dr. Moses Walakira of the HIV/AIDS center at Virika Hospital in Fort Portal.  KIDA’s clinic is considered an outreach clinic of the hospital, providing rural people, who find it difficult to travel to Fort Portal (an hour away by vehicle), access to treatment.  KIDA’s outreach clinic is open Monday through Friday and is staffed by a clinical officer and a nurse.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is held on the first Friday of every month in cooperation with Virika Hospital and the Uganda Ministry of Health.  Since this program started in 2004, over 15,000 rural villagers have learned their HIV status.

People who test HIV positive have access to all the services that KIDA provides at no cost.  Most of those who test positive choose to register as clients and reveal their status, an important first step toward “positive living.” A medical chart is started for their clinic visits and a trained volunteer will visit them in their homes once a month.

1099 HIV positive clients are currently enrolled at the KIDA outreach clinic and are being followed, 743 of these are on "chronic care", that is they are treated with antibiotics for opportunistic infections.  The remaining 356 have started and will continue antiretroviral treatment for life. These meds have made a huge improvement in clients’ health and ability to work and raise their families.  At this writing, June 2010, Virika Hospital has suspended the antiretroviral treatment program for new clients.  We hope the global donors will restore funding of these vital drugs soon.

Margaret takes her ARV pills to the field where she farms. She has experienced the return of her health and a normal life since taking this medication.

KIDA's HIV positive clients take daily prophylactic antibiotics to prevent opportunistic infections.  Even without antiretroviral drugs, many of these clients can do quite well.

KIDA’s Medical Services include:

1.  Monthly Voluntary Counseling and testing:
            First Fridays each month the clinic offers HIV antibody testing.
            Virika Hospital sends personnel and lab equipment.
            Counseling occurs before and after the test and results given out.
            Many also come for clinical assessment and treatment by a doctor.

2.  Treatment and counseling at the clinic:
            Clinic is open 5 days a week.
            Staff: one nurse, one clinical officer, two counselors
            Antibiotic treatment available to all HIV positive clients
            Antiretroviral drugs, taken by 356 clients, are monitored with monthly blood tests. 
    One on one and group teaching in drug adherence and positive living

3. Home visiting program:
            20 trained volunteers visit all the HIV+ clients in their homes each month.
            Periodic seminars keep volunteer staff continually educated.

4. Hygiene and sanitation improvement program:

           This program was started in 2009 by Peace Corps volunteer Mark Sevier and is ongoing. 

   Group sensitizations at KIDA's positive living conferences, community drama shows, radio shows

   Community volunteer training sessions in water treatment, hygiene and sanitation

   Home visits for one-on-one counseling

   School visits and KIDA orphan seminars provide further opportunities for teaching.