Sh11.9b project tackles gaps in prevention of mother-to-child infections
The two-year intervention, dubbed Accelerating the Elimination of Vertical Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in Uganda (ATESHHU), is being implemented in 22 districts in the Busoga and Bunyoro sub-regions.
Officials from the Ministry of Health, Uganda AIDS Commission, UNAIDS, UNICEF and ANECCA pose for a photo with the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Wu Guangrong. (Credit:Agness Kyotalengerire)
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The government, through the Ministry of Health and in partnership with other organisations, is implementing a sh11.9b project aimed at curbing the transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B from mothers to their babies.
The two-year intervention, dubbed Accelerating the Elimination of Vertical Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in Uganda (ATESHHU), is being implemented in 22 districts in the Busoga and Bunyoro sub-regions.
The project seeks to strengthen health systems and increase access to quality, integrated health services as Uganda works towards eliminating the vertical transmission of the three diseases.
Dr Linda Nabitaka, the senior programme officer in charge of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B at the Ministry of Health, said the project started in May this year and is expected to run until 2028.
With a budget of about sh11.9b (US$3m), the project is expected to benefit about 2.5 million people, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, their children and partners affected by HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B in the two regions.
Funded by the Government of China, the project is being implemented by the African Network for the Care of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (Anecca), with support from the Ministry of Health. Other oversight partners include UNICEF and UNAIDS.
Why Busoga and Bunyoro?
Dr Nabitaka said Busoga and Bunyoro were selected because they have not been performing well in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the three diseases.
She noted that although Busoga has an HIV prevalence of about 3%, the teenage pregnancy rate is as high as 28%, while most PMTCT indicators remain poor.
The situation is similar in Bunyoro, which has an HIV prevalence of about 4.8%, coupled with a high teenage pregnancy rate of 24.2%.
The UNAIDS country representative to Uganda and Tanzania, Jacqueline Makokha, commended the Governments of Uganda and China for investing about US$3m in the initiative.
“As we advance towards 2030, we must sustain the progress already achieved while accelerating actions where gaps remain,” Makokha noted.
She called for urgent efforts to put women and communities at the centre of implementation.
“Stigma, gender-related barriers, and limited male involvement continue to make it harder for women to access services and remain in care,” Makokha said.
She further noted that addressing such challenges requires listening to women, including adolescent girls and young mothers, and working with community organisations and networks of people living with HIV to ensure that everyone in need is reached.
Community health workers will help connect families with services and support mothers who have become disconnected from care, she noted.
Male involvement
Makokha noted that male partners also have an important role to play in supporting the health and well-being of women and children.
The remarks were made during an event at the Ministry of Health headquarters on September 28, where stakeholders discussed the ATESHHU project.
The Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Wu Guangrong, said maternal and child health lies at the heart of human well-being and global sustainable development.
Wu said ending the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, commonly referred to as triple elimination, is a paramount public health priority.
“The project not only protects women and children and breaks the intergenerational chain of disease transmission but also strengthens the foundation of local health systems,” he noted.
The assistant commissioner for the AIDS Control Programme at the Ministry of Health, Dr Robert Mutumba, hailed the Chinese Government for funding the initiative.
The head of HIV prevention at the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), Dr Daniel Byamukama, said the funding from the Government of China was timely, considering that the financing landscape had recently become so contradictory.
The executive director of Anecca, Dr Denis Tindyebwa, said he looked forward to stronger partnership and support from the Chinese Government to enable the organisation to engage more in the elimination of other diseases.
The burden
Uganda has made progress towards eliminating the vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. New HIV infections among children have declined by 78%, from approximately 20,000 in 2010 to about 4,700 in 2025.
The latest Uganda HIV Estimates 2026 report revealed that new HIV infections declined from 37,000 in 2024 to 34,000 by December 2025.
The same report found that by the end of December 2025, the country had recorded a total of 19,000 AIDS-related illnesses, compared with 21,000 deaths in 2024.