Despite this progress however, the country’s health care system is under extreme strain because of HIV/AIDS. About 2 million Ugandan children have been orphaned by AIDS and the cost of the epidemic is devastating impoverished Ugandan families. And even with the notable economic gains made over two decades, Uganda is still one of the poorest countries in the world.

Large amounts of funding from the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria; World Bank MAP; PEPFAR; and other international donors is now expected to alter the fight against HIV in Uganda. MSH, through the Management and Leadership (M&L) Program, is helping Uganda develop strong management structures to enable it to win grant money and spend it in an effective, coordinated manner. Our efforts are aimed at helping Uganda absorb a sudden, massive inflow of funds without distorting ongoing successful programs to fight the epidemic. M&L is supported through the Uganda mission of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with clients that include the Ministry of Health (MOH), faith-based organizations (FBOs), NGOs, and the coordinating bodies responsible for orchestrating the country’s response to AIDS.

M&L is working with the Inter Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU). Established in 2001, the IRCU is comprised of four faiths: the Roman Catholic Church, the Muslim Faith, the Church of Uganda (Anglican), and the Orthodox Church. The goal of the IRCU is to provide a forum for cooperation in matters of common interest.

IRCU was recently selected as a Lead Agency under the Uganda Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, and is receiving significant funding from PEPFAR. IRCU’s HIV/AIDS department together with the four represented constituencies will serve as a governing body to review FBOs’ grant proposals, and coordinate and monitor projects as they are carried out.

M&L is working with multiple partners to provide technical assistance to Uganda, with support directed at three main areas:

• Strengthening management of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU)
   
• Strengthening management capacity of the Uganda’s AIDS Commission (UAC)
   
• Providing technical assistance to the Uganda National TB and Leprosy Program (NTLP)

Strengthening IRCU management

M&L is providing technical assistance to strengthen the overall management capacity of the IRCU and allow it to play the lead role in coordinating HIV/AIDS activities by faith-based organizations in Uganda. This work involves the IRCU’s strategic plan and developing better management systems, including an improved Resources Management (HRM) system that will raise the level of staff performance. We are also working to improve the financial and grant management capacity of IRCU and its four religious constituents (Roman Catholics, Anglican Protestants, Muslims and Orthodox) so that the IRCU will be able to disburse up to $2.5 million to fund HIV/AIDS programs. Although IRCU has disbursed some 30 grants to FBOs amounting to a total of about $150,000, the organization has turned to M&L to improve its ability to review proposals and monitor and evaluate the anticipated number and scale of HIV/AIDS grants to FBOs.

Strengthening the management capacity of Uganda's AIDS Commission

The second largest component of our work in Uganda is support to the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), Uganda’s national body responsible for coordination of Uganda’s HIV/AIDS strategy.

Uganda National TB and Leprosy Program

M&L is providing assistance in developing a national Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) strategy for TB, pre- and in-service training curriculum, and materials development as well as assisting in the development of Standard Operating Procedures at the regional, districts and facility levels. M&L will provide TA in an effort to:

• develop a national IEC strategy for TB and master IEC materials
   
• improve the curriculum for TB pre and in-service training
   
• develop Standard Operating Procedures for TB at regional, district and facility levels.
   

M&L support has enabled Uganda to gear up to secure funding and improve management of large scale programs that fight HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. In 2003 Uganda was awarded $51 million from the Global Fund for a series of projects that focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation; the funds will also go toward building the capacity of organizations that implement HIV/AIDS programs.

M&L has helped Uganda define its strategies and implementation plan to more effectively coordinate the country’s comprehensive program. Working with a team of local consultants, M&L has worked with the UAC to revise its strategy and plans, and will continue to work with the UAC to involve all sectors in putting these plans into action.

We are working with multiple organizations to improve budget and planning skills and human resource management systems. Better management is urgently needed to allow Uganda to effectively deploy the resources needed to scale up HIV/AIDS health programs.