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Hepatitis B poses a significant public health burden across Uganda, with mother-to-child transmission accounting for a large portion of new infections.  In many communities, low screening rates, limited access to vaccination and gaps in access to care continue to leave expectant mothers and newborns without adequate access to prevention, screening and treatment. 

Agago Action For Good Health – Uganda (AAGHU) is a community-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with hepatitis B.  Three pillars guide their mission:
(1)   Clinical Excellence – with an aim to provide services and support
(2)   Gender & Family Health – offering holistic health education to empower individuals
(3)   Community Resilience – goal of inspiring hope and combating stigma.  

As an ABAC Community Catalyst Grant Awardee, AAGHU pioneered a three-month intervention across Patongo, Kalongo and Agago Town Councils, bringing screening, vaccination, treatment, and community education to the people who needed it the most.  Led by Mr. Okello Raymond, the initiative delivered measurable results within a short period of time.  Mr. Raymond expresses that the community is deeply grateful to ABAC and the Hepatitis B Foundation for making this work possible. 

Protecting Mothers and Newborns
Maternal and newborn hepatitis B prevention efforts saw immediate boosts.  Over 500 newborns were vaccinated with the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine – a 60% increase.  Screening coverage rose to seven times what it was before Mr. Raymond started his work.  In total, 577 pregnant women were screened for hepatitis B during antenatal care (ANC) visits, giving hundreds of families a chance at a life free of hepatitis B. 

Diagnosis ➡️ Treatment Plan
The project also strengthened the systems that carry someone from a positive test to real care.  Of the 27 individuals who tested positive for HBV, everyone was evaluated and initiated on treatment plans, care that was made possible through support from the ABAC Community Catalyst Grant.  Hepatitis B services are now integrated into routine ANC, outpatient and outreach services at supported facilities across the 3 towns.  Fighting this virus isn’t a separate task from providing health care.  It’s the same task.

Community Impacts
The community felt the effects of the ground-breaking engagement efforts through sensitization meetings and various outreach events, including vaccination events.  The community sensitization sessions reached 459 locals, instilling takeaways surrounding hepatitis B vaccine education.  Vaccination campaigns allowed 210 children who had previously missed doses to get vaccinated.  The grant supported 9 peer-support meetings, reaching 270 participants, supporting adherence and stigma reduction. 

Perhaps the most telling sign of impact: all 42 district health facilities in the area are now engaged in quarterly review and action planning, a structural shift that outlives the three-month project window.  Moving forward, AAGHU’s new collaboration with district leadership and partners, including Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) means of virus indicators and accountability are becoming permanent, alongside routine district health systems.  

The experiences shared by people living with hepatitis B and their families reminded Mr. Raymond and the community of why this work matters.  Their stories highlighted the burden of hepatitis B and the hope that comes with early diagnosis, treatment and prevention.  For the future, AAGHU hopes to keep the momentum going on their outreach efforts.