Relationship between TASO Community Initiatives and HIV/AIDS Control in Uganda

Abstract

Abstract: The study examined the effect of TASO Community Initiative campaign on HIV/AIDS control in Uganda. It focused on Entebbe Community that houses the national headquarters of The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). The specific objectives were; (1) to establish the effect of education information on HIV/AIDS control in Entebbe area; (2) to ascertain the relationship between positive attitude promotion and HIV/AIDS control in Entebbe area; (3) to assess the effect of sensitization and promotion of behavioural change on HIV/AIDS control in Entebbe area. The sample comprised 90 respondents who regularly seek treatment from TASO head quarters in Entebbe out of whom only 61 respondents filled and returned completed questionnaires. The results of the study revealed that while these community initiatives continue to help in the control of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, their activities were found to be insignificant in that all the variables analyzed in this study do not directly depend on them. However, the campaign in form of education information significantly relate with sensitization and promotion of behavioural change [r = .467**, p<0.0001] and it also relates with positive attitude promotion [r = .347** p<0.006]. After this finding, regression results using education information as the dependent variable also indicated that there is a positive and significant effect of education information on positive attitude promotion [β = .298, t = 2.687, p <0.009] and sensitization to promote behavioural change [β = .435, t = 3.920, p<0.0001]. Therefore it is concluded here that the current TASO community initiatives in Entebbe should be strengthened so that strategies geared towards education information that have messages of sensitization and promoting behavioural change and those that promote a positive attitude take the centre stage in the HIV/AIDS control strategy. In other words, resources for controlling HIV/AIDS in Uganda should be invested in education information to sensitize and promote behavioural change and develop positive attitude implying that community initiative groups need refocus their strategies to make HIV/AIDS control significant.