Dr. Mohammed Kibirige - ABC Project in Uganda

For some time now, Dr. Kibirige (a peadiatrician based on Teesside) has been working with colleagues in Uganda on the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/Aids.  He told us something of the history of the project which has been adopted by the Rotary Club of Middlesbrough, how it has been made possible as a result of support from Rotary Clubs here in District 1030 as well well as Districts 1040, 1690 (France) and 9200 and 9211 (Uganda) with matching grants from the Rotary Foundation.

The results are impressive - in Uganda the risk of transmission has been reduced from 35-45% to around 7% (this compares with less than 2% in the UK).  Up to June this year, a total of 36,000 women have been treated.  Alongside this treatment, significant improvements have also been made in sanitation, hygiene, water supplies and education.

What Dr. Kibirige did not tell us is that earlier this year he received the prestigious Rotary International "Service Above Self" award for his work on the project.  This award is given annually to a maximum of 150 of the 1.2 million Rotarians around the world.  The full story was reported in the April 2013 edition of the Rotary North East magazine.

See the ABC Project  (Aids-Free Birthright for Children) website for more information.