Community Linkage Facilitators (CLFs) are pivotal to delivery of targeted Community HIV/TB services. As health facility team members, they are experienced and model HIV clients whose capacity in HIV/TB service delivery is built through mentorships and trainings by health workers and Local Service Delivery for HIV and AIDS Activity (USAID/LSDA) regional teams.

Their critical roles include but not limited to; supporting HIV/TB case identification, health education, and counselling people living with HIV/TB, delivery of HIV/TB medicines to clients in the community; follow up of clients with Interruption in Treatment (IIT) and supporting timely updates for the HIV/TB registers. It was brought to the attention of USAID/LSDA of the hurdles they face through the course of supporting community activities among which included; dynamic extreme changes in weather, lack of tools to carry drugs and occasional resistance by the communities due to lack of identification.

In response to the outcry, UPMB through USAID support, managed to procure protective wear for the CLFs as a minimum package of work equipment/tools and these included Umbrellas, Bags, T-shirts and Gumboots. A total of 21 CLFs (11 males and 10 females) from all the Health Centers III’s in Northern Region (12 HCIIIs) were provided the protective wear with each receiving a pair of gumboots, a t-shirt, a bag and an umbrella.

CLFs receiving the protective wear, Aliwanga HCIII (upper left), St Peter & Paul HCIII (upper right), Minakulu HCIII (lower left) and Alenga HCIII (lower right).

The CLFs in the 12 HCIIIs proudly expressed their gratitude to the UPMB USAID/Local Service Delivery Activity (LSDA) for promptly heeding to their request, and further pledged to carry out their duties with re-energized efforts as we work towards epidemic control.