Considered a success story in reversing the trajectory of HIV/AIDS, Uganda has made substantial advances in reducing prevalence and incidence of the disease. Despite being hindered by civil strife and burdened with an estimated 2 million children orphaned by AIDS, Uganda has used a multi-sectoral approach to address issues including stigma, discrimination, and the health and rights of women and youth. To assist the country in effectively scaling-up health programs and strengthening service providers, LMS and its partners provide technical assistance focused on pre-service training and capacity building.

RESULTS

To enhance the management and leadership capacity of health professionals, LMS efforts have:

• Trained 23 faculty from Makere University Medical School as Leadership Develop Program (LDP) facilitators.
• Graduated 25 teams of health professionals from the Virtual Leadership Development Program (VLDP).
• Graduated 10 teams from offerings of the Virtual Human Resource Management Program (VHRM), Virtual Strategic Planning Program (VSPP) and Virtual CSO Board Governance Program (VCGP). 

EXPERIENCE IN COUNTRY

Commitment to Scale Up with the Joint Clinical Research Centre

Pre-Service Leadership and Management Programs

Virtual Leadership Development Programs in Uganda

Technical Assistance to RCQHC and ANECCA

Commitment to Scale Up with the Joint Clinical Research Centre

The Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) began in 1991 as a small research center with five employees. By 2006, the organization had grown to 230 employees working in more than 40 locations nationwide, providing treatment to more than 60,000 persons living with AIDS. JCRC was the first private organization to offer antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa. The organization is known internationally as a center of excellence providing leadership in HIV care, treatment and research. LMS is working with JCRC to strengthen the leadership and management capacity of managers in its laboratory network and the management systems of JCRC as a whole. JCRC’s specific management needs were identified during an administration of the Management and Organizational Sustainability Tool (MOST). The workshop produced both an assessment of JCRC’s current management capacity and an action plan for improving priority management systems. Participation in MOST enabled JCRC to clearly view where it is and what it needed to do to manage growth and strengthen its performance.   

In addition, LMS is strengthening the management and leadership capacity of the multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, counselors, adherence officers, data managers and lab staff who are providing ART services to thousands of clients in the Centres of Excellence.

• Strengthening Laboratories in Uganda

Pre-Service Leadership and Management Programs

Working on a new initiative to better prepare medical students for the leadership and management roles they will play upon graduating, LMS initiated the integration of leadership and management training into pre-service programs at Makerere University Medical School. Twenty-three faculty from the Medical School have been trained as facilitators of the Leadership Development Program, and discussions on curriculum integration and a pilot program in a few health facilities are underway. Steps have been taken by LMS staff to engage key stakeholders to encourage ongoing curriculum reform. In addition, the Nurses and Midwives Council of Uganda has requested LMS to provide input into its ongoing process of revising the pre-service curricula for Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, and Nurse Midwives.

• An Urgent Call to Professionalize Leadership and Management in Health Care Worldwide (PDF)

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Virtual Leadership Development Programs in Uganda

Since the 2004 launch of the first Virtual Leadership Development Program (VLDP) in Africa, more teams have hailed from Uganda than any other country. A total of four VLDPs from 2004 to 2006 occurred between 2004 and 2006, with teams from Uganda AIDS Commission, Faith-Based Organizations, Community Based Organizations, and local chapters of international organizations. Key challenges being addressed by these teams included improved multisectoral coordination, strengthening human resources for health, scale up of ARV availability, and strengthened management systems.

• Faith-Based Facilities Face Their Human Resource Challenges
• Strengthening Teams to Improve Health Service Delivery In Africa: An Evaluation of the Africa VLDP (PDF- 324KB )

Technical Assistance to RCQHC and ANECCA 

With funding from USAID/Africa Bureau, LMS is providing technical assistance in institutional capacity building to the Regional Center for Quality Health Care (RCQHC) and the African Network for the Care of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (ANECCA), both affiliated with Makerere University in Kampala. RCQHC is an institution dedicated to advancing the quality of health care in the East, Central and Southern African region. In 2008, LMS worked with RCQHC to develop strategic, business and marketing plans, and in 2009 supported the development of a course on best practices in health management for RCQHC to deliver. ANECCA is a network that brings together clinicians and social scientists to improve the quality of clinical and non-clinical care of children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa by providing capacity building training for health professionals working in pediatric HIV care, producing comprehensive training materials for pediatric HIV care and conducting a pediatric HIV care mentoring program. Since January 2010, LMS has been supporting ANECCA to create strategic and business plans as well as helping the Network to develop the internal management systems that will allow it to continue its growth as an organization and in the future become an independent entity in line with the long-term goals of its board and members.