The Targeted HIV/AIDS and Laboratory Services (THALAS) Project was a 6-year project implemented by JCRC from June 2010 to July 2016 with funding from USAID/Uganda under the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Program. THALAS project was developed to build on the successes of the TREAT project i.e. increase access of PLWAs to quality HIV/AIDS care and treatment, laboratory, PMTCT and TB/HIV services.
The objectives of the project were;
- Ensure the provision of HIV/AIDS care & treatment, laboratory, PMTCT and TB/HIV services in public regional referral and district hospitals
- Enhance quality of HIV/AIDS care &treatment, laboratory, PMTCT, and TB/HIV services at regional referral and district hospitals
- Increase stewardship by MOH to provide sustainable quality HIV/AIDS care &treatment, laboratory, PMTCT and TB/HIV services within public health system.
THALAS worked with SUSTAIN – a project set up to strengthen laboratory services into 11 Regional Referral hospitals, 13 district hospitals and JCRC Lubowa as THALAS provided integrated TB HIV/AIDS services to over 15,000 patients served by the JCRC clinic in addition to supporting the smooth and seamless transition of 29 TREAT sites to SUSTAIN.
In collaboration with SUSTAIN, THALAS provided ART and laboratory services to over 32,000 PLWAs former TREAT patients, external quality assurance (EQA), provided coaching, mentoring and training to laboratories supported by SUSTAIN in addition to developing an exit strategy for continued provision of integrated TB/HIV/AID working in collaboration with MOH, SUSTAIN and Regional referral hospitals.
