Provide HIV services to 13,000 Vulnerable Ugandans

*Amelia, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2008, endured excruciating stomach discomfort for 14 months while taking her medicine.
“I tried talking to one of the health workers where I was re-filling from, but she told me I would be well; that I should just give it some time. The pain lasted over a year and I was continuously admitted to the hospital”

Amelia spent several months trying to get aid from several medical facilities but was unsuccessful. One of her friends advised her to go to Alive Medical Services as a last alternative.
“We didn’t know much about Alive Medical Services, but we had heard good things from the facility and that all treatment was free of charge.”
Amelia's friend pushed her not to tell the health workers that she had been on medicine, so she pretended to be a first-time tester.
“I was welcomed, counseled, and tested, just like a new person who came for treatment. The stomach pain was persistent, I was still admitted here at Alive Medical Services until I was traumatized from the pain, I decided to open up to one of the counselors after three months of pretending that I had never taken medication.”
When Amelia confessed that she had previously been on anti-retroviral medication, she reports that she has not experienced any minor illnesses, particularly stomach pain, since she was given the medication, she currently takes.
"I couldn't believe it, after just a week of honesty, my medication was changed and my pain stopped. I started pressing, touching my stomach to see or feel if the pain moved to another place but I was healed from the pain and that was in 2016. If I did not come to AMS, I think I was going to die."
Amelia has learned so many things at Alive Medical Services, especially about adherence and its importance.
“At my old facility, they never emphasized the need to take medication on time, they only mentioned that as long as you take in the day that has 24 hours and that is what most of us followed. The counselors educated me on the need to have an alarm on my phone to help me remember to take the medication on time. I thought alarms were for children, but it looks like as an adult I need them more. I can’t explain the type of care they are giving me; they make me want to adhere to my medication every day they made me feel like it was going to be their loss after I fully opened up.”
Amelia's life has completely transformed; she considers Alive Medical Services to be her second home, and she has no plans to leave. Alive Medical Services exists to provide free complete services such as HIV testing, treatment, and support, as well as any other psychosocial needs they may have.