Uganda

JSI has worked in Uganda for more than 30 years, building the capacity of the public, private, and NGO sectors and managing public health programs focusing on strengthening Uganda’s health system.

JSI leads the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Uganda Malaria Reduction Activity (MRA), which is funded by USAID and aims to strengthen the capacity of malaria prevention and ownership of health at the community and household levels. As the U.S. Government’s flagship malaria activity in the country, PMI Uganda MRA provides a crucial opportunity to accelerate the rollout of the priorities of the recently updated National Malaria Control Division’s Uganda Malaria Reduction and Elimination Strategic Plan 2021–25 and improve the survival and well-being of pregnant women and children 0–15 years.

The JSI-led USAID Tuberculosis Framework Agreement (TIFA) project supports the Ugandan government’s commitment to end TB. Working with national TB programs and local and global stakeholders, TIFA provides funding through TB Commitment Grants (TCG). Through TCGs

• The Uganda National TB and Leprosy Program conducts comprehensive TB screening at selected border entry points for early detection; strengthens TB services; and updates guidance on pediatric and drug-resistant TB and TB/HIV co-infection.
• The National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory/Supranational Reference Laboratory introduced a non-invasive, one-step stool-based TB testing technique for children nationwide, and is providing training and technical assistance to four African countries on the method.
• The World Alliance for Lung and Intensive Care Medicine in Uganda is updating national guidance on TB contact investigation and intensifying contact investigation in the Acholi region.

JSI implemented the USAID-supported Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services-North, Lango (RHITES-N, Lango) project in Northern Uganda. Using a capacity strengthening approach, the project supported local organizations and districts to design community-led data-driven solutions to challenges and reinforce established health systems. The project provided integrated health services including HIV; TB; maternal, newborn, and child health; family planning; malaria; nutrition; and water and sanitation. After six years of implementation, USAID RHITES-N, Lango surpassed many primary objectives, resulting in—

• expanded access to essential health services and life-saving commodities
• improved quality of care for HIV clients, those with TB, and pregnant women
• enhanced district capacity to plan, monitor, and implement health interventions
• strengthened health information systems for data collection, reporting, and use.

Our USAID Advancing Nutrition program supported the government to strengthen compliance with food fortification standards. We worked with partners from the government, including the multi-sectoral National Food Fortification Working Group, and civil society to strengthen the capacity of the public sector to enforce food fortification standards; examine economic incentives and financing to design business models for food fortification; improve stakeholder coordination; and promote increased consumption of fortified food by advocating and raising awareness among policy makers and processors.

Within the last five years, JSI also implemented the Strengthening Partnerships, Results and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) global nutrition program, Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), and Stronger Systems for Routine Immunization (SS4RI) project in Uganda.