Outcomes of a faith-community-based mobilization approach to HIV prevention, care and treatment in rural Uganda

background: One community mobilization project in rural Uganda uses churches and mosques as the entry point for community-based HIV/AIDS programming by sensitizing and enlisting faith leaders who mobilize volunteer congregation action teams. The teams implement a variety of HIV prevention, care, and treatment activities among their congregation members. This evaluation explored the individual and community outcomes associated with high and low functioning teams.

methods: In August 2014, using the Success Case Method approach, a quantitative survey was fielded to all action teams to assess activities and membership characteristics. From their responses, the teams were dichotomized into high and low performers. Two high and two lower performing teams were randomly selected for focus groups exploring activities, sustainability, and perceived outcomes and effectiveness. In-depth interviews were conducted with community members living in the areas served, to measure quality and quantity of project exposure and individual and community outcomes.

results: High and low performing teams differed in the extent to which they sustained their activities in the community. Sustained activity was associated with the size of the action team. Direct wellbeing benefits, transformed relationships and reduced stigma emerged as dominant themes in the qualitative data. Regardless of action team functioning, all community respondents indicated that attitudes towards people living with HIV and AIDS had dramatically improved, with many providing examples of the action team’s direct contribution to these changes.

conclusions:  While the project was associated with a number of tangible individual and community benefits, sustainability of activities, and thereby outcomes, is a consideration.