Uganda hosts world HIV/AIDS implementers’ meeting

By Fred Ouma and Raymond Baguma
THE second HIV Implementers meeting gets underway at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala tomorrow till Saturday.

The first was held in Kigali Rwanda last year. The conference will be held under the theme: Scaling up through Partnerships: Overcoming Obstacles to Implementation, recognising the rapid expansion of HIV/AIDS programmes worldwide.

The meeting will bring together 1,700 practitioners from Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and the rest of the world to discuss and share ideas to strengthen the global responses to HIV/AIDS, according to a statement issued by the organisers.

Speakers will touch on the several themes that cu across all HIV/AIDS programming areas. They include epidemic and response, human capacity development, linking people to resources, coordination and harmonisation, integrating services, monitoring and evaluating impact.

“Through presentations, dialogue and networking, participants expect to share information that will directly impact HIV/AIDS programmes in the coming years,” said James Kigozi, the spokesperson of the Uganda AIDS Commission.

This year’s objectives are to widely disseminate lessons learned with a focus on scaling up prevention, treatment and care programmes, build local capacity, quality and coordination among partners.

It is also aimed at forging future directions of HIV/AIDS programmes with emphasis on implementation and the identification of critical barriers and integrating best practices and lessons learned.

President Yoweri Museveni will welcome more HIV/AIDS implementers. Among the personalities to attend is Dr. Peter Piot, the UNAIDS executive director; ambassador Mark Dybul, the coordinator of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, the executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Others are Dr. Kevin Moody, the International coordinator and chief executive officer of the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+).

The five-day meeting is co-sponsored by PEPFAR, the Global Fund,UNAIDS, UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation and GNP+.

This article was published in The New Vision, Uganda on 2nd June 2008