Behaviour Change Initiative - BECH Initiative

Hello there!,
Here with the collaborative
Community of practice knowledge exchange event

We were well represented❤️✌🏽

Good morning Uganda!
It is such a beautiful morning on this brand new day of the week.
As we embrace it, let’s keep it at the back of our minds that Redeyes are still in our communities. Learn more with us through the Link shared herein…

Happy Health, Health Mind.

https://behaviourchangeinitiative.org/Redeyes.html

Heri ya Siku ya Mtoto wa Afrika!

Leo tunaungana na wadau wa ulinzi na usalama wa mtoto nchini na Afrika kwa ujumla kuadhimisha siku hii adhimu tukiongozwa na kauli mbiu "Elimu Jumuishi kwa Watoto izingatie maarifa, maadili na stadi za kazi".

Hapa mkoani Mwanza takribani watoto 300 wamejumuika kupaza sauti zao juu ya ongezeko la vitendo vya ukatili dhidi ya watoto wakitaka hatua zaidi zichukuliwe.

Endelea kutufuatilia!

Hello BECH community,

We are so much delighted to have you as part of our community since 2020 upto now👏🏽🥳.
Here we are still, to bring you more closer to us, below is our what’s app community link.

Kindly join us to be more closer and connected as one. We hope to be with you all.

Thank you!

chat.whatsapp.com

Hello friends and community,
We kindly and humbly calling upon you all to join us via our what’s app channel via the link below. Thank you!

whatsapp.com

We have joined the global movement for menstrual equity!

Let's break the stigma and ensure access to menstrual hygiene for all.

We wish you a joyous New Year filled with unity, success, and shared victories!

May the coming year bring abundance and triumph in all your endeavors.

Cheers to another year of camaraderie and achievement!

We wish you a joyous Christman filled with warmth, unity, and the spirit of togetherness.

May this festive season bring blessings to all of you, fostering a sense of community and shared joy.

Have you gone for a breast cancer check.

Check your breasts today for a better wellbeing.

Did you know a condom is one of the safest and cheapest method one would opt for.
A condom has double protection against unplanned pregnancy HIV/AIDS and other STIs if used properly it's the best method to recommend.

On. 6th.02.2023 we held a campaign in Naguru Hospital where we reached out to babies born with HIV/AIDS, babies in ICU, Babies under vulnerable mothers that have nothing to start on and babies in pediatrics.

We supported over 140 babies that were in the hospital in different units. We conducted focus group discussions where we engaged with the mothers and they narrated to us their challenges they face and we recommended solutions.

We also sensitized the mothers on the importance of ANC and other different health related topics.

Our major focus is to end HIV/AIDS by 2023 and we shall keep on sensitizing masses on how to reduce, prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

On the 6th - 01 - 2023. We had a campaign in Naguru hospital where we made a donation to support on children born with HIV/AIDS.

More to come.

Good morning friends. We are here to make some clarifications that this campaign is dated to happen on 6th - 02 - 2023. There was change of date due to the management of Naguru Hospital. Therefore let's meet on Monday to create a positive impact to this hospital. 🏨🏥🏪

https://twitter.com/Youth4bc?t=pdoEE8xKgtcg_rlMut1fbA&s=09

Something Nice on TWITTER kindly follow the link and follow us on TWITTER as well. For more information and more updates

CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT BABIES BORN WITH HIV/AIDS IN NAGURU HOSPITAL🏥🏥🏥🏥

China – Uganda Friendship Hospital – Naguru is a general public hospital serving an estimated 3 million inhabitants of the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Naguru Hospital is one of the government hospitals that has played a big role in preventing transmission of HIV/AIDS from the mother to child (MTCT) during pregnancy, child birth or breast feeding.

Naguru Hospital is one
of the best hospitals that has specialized care and treatment for pregnant women who are living with HIV/AIDS.

However, Naguru hospital reported few cases of babies born with HIV/AIDS last year but all these were related to the positive teenage mothers who could miss taking their drugs (ARVs) on time and also skipping days of taking their drugs (ARVs) hence increasing the viral load which made them more infectious to their babies. The teenage mothers also up to now still face a challenge of stigma whenever they go to the hospital to pick the drugs (ARVs) which affects their accessibility to the hospital hence affecting the lives of the unborn babies.

As Behaviour Change initiative we have done our best to create awareness in the communities amongst people who are living with HIV/AIDS by emphasizing them to take their drugs on a daily basis most especially during their pregnancy stages such that they can reduce the viral load and reduce the spread of the infection to the unborn babies but the numbers are still low.

Therefore, come and join us for this campaign to support on the innocent babies who are born with HIV/AIDS in Naguru hospital.

To join the Campaign through registering via the website. www.bechinitiative.org

You can do direct donations via the bank account or the merchant line.

NOTE: Those with materialistic items to donate kindly inbox.

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR THE BABIES BORN WITH HIV / AIDS 2023

Uganda is one of the countries that has been hit so hard by the HIV/AIDS pandemic ever since its inception in the 1980s. Uganda was one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to experience the rapid spread of HIV pandemic.

The first HIV/AIDS cases were identified in Uganda in 1982 in the Rakai district on the shores of Lake Victoria. Since the identification of the first cases, the number of HIV infections increased rapidly throughout the country. By 1988, an estimated one million Ugandans were thought to be infected and Uganda had one of the highest rates of HIV infection in Africa.

By 1990, HIV prevalence among women attending antenatal services exceeded 20% at two urban sites. As a comparison, the neighboring countries of Kenya and Tanzania reported HIV prevalence rates in major urban areas of about 9% that same year. After a decade of increasing prevalence, the spread of the epidemic began to wane in the early 1990s.

The symptoms of HIV were general malaise and sporadic fever, followed several months later by diarrhea, weight loss and skin rash and discoloration, frequently accompanied by s*xually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.

Most commonly, the source of HIV was thought to be witchcraft and ancestor revenge. Many of the afflicted came from the more affluent traders, promoting the notion that the disease was a curse from God, retribution for past illicit business practices. Most commonly, early treatment was sought from traditional healers and herbalists, many of whom encouraged the belief in witchcraft as the source. As its true cause came to be known, as was the case in other countries, HIV/AIDS became shrouded in a haze of stigma, shame, and discrimination, associated with promiscuous s*xual behavior, homos*xuality, drug use, and, still, witchcraft.

Uganda has come up with different interventions to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS such as creating awareness about HIV/AIDS through campaigns, involving Civil Society Organizations and individual people. Uganda also came up with strategies like free testing at all Government facilities to test for HIV/AIDS. Those that have tested positive are given ARVs straight way and those found negative are advised to abstain, use a condom or be faithfully to their partners. Organizations like TASO also started helping on the people living with HIV/AIDS through giving them food stuffs like SOYA, drugs and also the necessary basic needs. Also, organizations like Uganda cares have played a big role in testing and giving counselling free services for people with HIV/AIDS in the government facilities.

A lot of work has been done and still on going because as
Uganda, we have a vision of being a free HIV/AIDS country by 2030.

In December 2020, UNAIDS released a new set of ambitious targets calling for 95% of all people living with HIV to know their HIV status, 95% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection to receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy to have viral suppression by 2025.

Statistics show by the end of 2021, Uganda had an estimated 1.4 million People Living with HIV. AlDS related deaths had declined by 61% from 56,000 in 2010 to 22,000 and new HIV infections went down by 60% from 94,000 to 38,000 (UNAIDS Data 2020). However, with the impact of COVID 19, the country had witnessed the surge of HIV infections from 38,000 to 54,000 in 2022 (UNAIDS Report 2022).

During this period of the pandemic so many babies were born with HIV and the virus was transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and also through breastfeeding. This was because mothers during the lock down could not access their drugs (ARVs) to suppress on the viral load hence becoming infectious to their young ones. Therefore, this campaign is to support the babies that are born with HIV/AIDS with basic necessities such as Burp cloths, nursing cover, Receiving blankets, breastfeeding bottles, diapers, Baby clothes, Formula milk, baby soap, baby towels etc.

MC KATS
UNAIDS
Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum - UYAHF

UNFPA Uganda

Edwin Biwasa

Check out more on the website. www.bechinitiative.org

As we come to the close of the year. We are glad for this year's work, the lessons learnt and thankful to our partners.

As the organization we hope for the best next year.

This was our last community engagement this year.

Yesterday we happened to attend the last quarterly meeting with partner members of CSMMUA where we have the same vision to stop maternal death due to unsafe abortion.

We believe in children by choice not by chance therefore we advocate for family planning as a solution to prevent unsafe abortions that lead to maternal mortality.

On 11th. 12. 2022. In partnership with our partners of we had a community engagement with the community of kamwanyi B in Luzira where we had a chance to talk about Gender based Violence in relation to s*xual reproductive health. We talked about all the forms of gender based Violence and how one can report them to the people responsible.

As usual tomorrow it's a big day! 💥

Don't miss to join our space on safe motherhood in Uganda at 8:00pm


The link for tomorrow is here below. You can also follow us on Twitter and we follow back 😁

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1vAxRAlMYjPJl

https://twitter.com/Youth4bc
Let's have more discussions on twitter let's follow each other.😃😃

Behaviour Change Initiative (Bech) (@Youth4bc) / Twitter We are the youth advocating for SRHR among the vulnerable communities through behaviour change. We advocate for HIV/AIDS, STI/Ds prevention and management.

The link
https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1lDxLnWBaORGm

Happening now: Mental Health among young people during the tough economic times Behaviour Change Initiative (Bech)’s Space · 3 listening · Where live audio conversations happen

Behaviour Change Initiative - BECH Initiative updated their info in the about section.

Today we want to wish our September babies a happy blessed birthday. We love you and appreciate all the effort you provide to the organization.