Uganda – USAID-funded NuLife Food and Nutrition Interventions Program

Integrating Food and Nutrition Activities into HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Treatment Programs

In Uganda ACDI/VOCA partners with University Research Company and Save the Children to implement a three-year, USAID-funded food and nutrition intervention project called NuLife. Begun in 2008, the program works to integrate food and nutrition activities into HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs. The program does this with a focus on adherence to and effectiveness of anti-retroviral treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), HIV-positive pregnant and lactating mothers, orphans/vulnerable children and HIV-positive children.

The three primary objectives of the NuLife program include

• providing technical and financial support to the Uganda Ministry of Health, community-based organizations, NGOs, PLHIV networks, and other partners to integrate food and nutrition interventions in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs
• developing a high-quality, low-cost, culturally acceptable ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) made from locally available ingredients
• establishing a supply chain system for the delivery of RUTF to health facilities

ACDI/VOCA’s role primarily involves establishing and managing the commodity supply chain to support the project. Using the logistics expertise of both the NuLife project’s staff and ACDI/VOCA’s PL 480 Title II program staff in Uganda, ACDI/VOCA will design and implement a short- and long-term distribution system for RUTF. The system will allow the transportation of commodities and other supplies, proper storage of commodities at food distribution points and technical training of health center staff in commodity handling and distribution. To ensure that the supply distribution chain in Uganda is appropriate and sustainable, ACDI/VOCA will work closely with Uganda’s Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to share best practices and implementation strategies. As of April 2009, ACDI/VOCA had trained 28 health facility employees in supply chain and storage management and developed and executed delivery strategy of RUTF to 32 sites.

In distribution areas where the NuLife project and ACDI/VOCA’s Title II program overlap, ACDI/VOCA incorporates NuLife project beneficiaries into the agricultural and income-generating activities of the Title II project. This ensures that beneficiaries receive training in agronomy, health and nutrition, post-harvest handling, marketing, and savings and credit to promote the development of sustainable livelihoods. Through these activities, beneficiaries will be able to transition out of food distribution activities and gain long-term skills for sustainable food security and health.

For more information, contact Juliana Favila at jfavila@acdivoca.org.

Updated: 5/09

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