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Uganda: Tackling HIV/AIDS in markets
By Angelina Wapakabalo, Market Vendors AIDS Project (MAVAP) and Flavia Amoding, National Union of Informal Economy Workers Organisations (NUIEWO)

The Market Vendors AIDS Project (MAVAP) is an initiative that addresses issues relating to HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, care and support in market workplaces. It is a follow up to the pilot HIV/AIDS project that was implemented at St. Balikuddembe market in 2003 /2004. The overall goal of the Project is to have a healthy and productive market community that is positively and responsibly responsive to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

MAVAP has now become well established in three markets. It currently covers the markets of St. Balikuddembe, Park yard and Nakawa that serve more than 200,000 people everyday.

The objectives of MAVAP over the project life of 3 years i.e. 2005 - 2007 are:

· Raise awareness for 90% of the market vendors about HIV/AIDS;
· Reduce the risk of transmission by providing Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for the market vendors;
· Establish treatment networks and a referral system to improve the quality of life for 100 people living with HIV/AIDS in the project area;
· Prevention intervention through training, skills development and capacity building for the leaders;
· Prevention intervention using Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom use (ABC) strategy and with programs specifically targeting women and youth;
· Risk assessment through continuous assessment of the work environment in the markets to establish the factors that expose the community to HIV/AIDS;
· Document experiences and best practices for replication in the informal economy and for experience sharing in both local and international fora.

Achievements recorded so far:

i.500 Peer educators have been trained and are carrying out sensitization at the grass root level.
ii. Through the MAVAP referral system in place the number of vendors going for VCT on a monthly basis has increased by 900%. From a maximum of 50 in one month in 2004, the current average is now 450 - 500 clients per month.
iii. Routine Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) testing and treatment has been introduced and in the last three months of 2006, 1,166 vendors accessed this service.
iv. As of 31st December 2006, Uganda Careas St. Balikuddembe clinic had enrolled 1,896 clients into care and follow up out of whom 662 are already receiving free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART). A further 1, 234 clients do not as yet require ARVs but are being followed up regularly with prophylactic medication and CD4 (T4 count, T-helper cells) monitoring.
v. Over 500,000 information and education materials have been distributed in the three markets e.g. information leaflets, exercise books, pens, umbrellas, t-shirts, posters, etc.
vi. An on-going monitoring and evaluation system is in place. 
vii. Documentation of activities for record purposes and sharing of experiences and best practices is on course and a documentary made in 2005 is available for viewing.
viii. Seven market vendors and MAVAP staff participated in the XVI international AIDS conference in Canada in August 2006 and the MAVAP service model was showcased at the Africa networking zone.
ix. An HIV/AIDS service model in the market workplace has been developed whereby sensitization, education, VCT, STI testing and treatment and ART provision and treatment of opportunistic infections are now all availed within the market.
It is hoped that this project will be extended to consolidate progress achieved in the three markets and initiate activities in at least four other markets.

For further information please contact: 
The Project Coordinator, Market Vendors AIDS Project, P.O. Box 72446, Clock Tower, Kampala, UGANDA.
Plot 38, Bukoto Street Kamwokya, Kampala.
Tel. 256 41 570998, 077 420017, 077 454437, 077 426597. 
Fax: 256 41 348721
e-mail: mavap@lumjo.com or dii@lumjo.com 
Web site: www.mavap.org 

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