HRM Akaliait Among Meets TASO Executive Director, Eyes Partnership on Health and Girl Empowerment in Teso

In a move aimed at strengthening health interventions and youth empowerment in the Teso sub-region, Her Royal Majesty Toto Akaliait Juliet Among of the Iteso Cultural Union – ICU has held a strategic meeting with the Executive Director of The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), Dr. Micheal Bernard Etukoit.

The meeting took place in Kampala and marked what could be the beginning of a transformative partnership between TASO and the Akaliait Development Foundation (AKADEF), a non-profit organization founded by HRM Among to address social and economic challenges in Teso, particularly among women and young girls.

In a statement issued through her office shortly after the meeting, HRM Among described the engagement as “very fruitful,” noting that it had opened the door to long-term collaboration in the areas of health service delivery and skills training.

“Today I had a very fruitful engagement with the Executive Director of TASO Uganda at TASO headquarters in Kampala. This engagement is bound to result in partnership between TASO and the Akaliait Development Foundation (AKADEF) in matters of health and skilling of young girls in Teso,” her statement read.

Dr. Etukoit, a seasoned public health expert, expressed optimism about the partnership, emphasizing TASO’s commitment to working with cultural and community leaders to enhance access to health services, especially in underserved regions like Teso.

He commended HRM Among for her leadership and dedication to empowering vulnerable communities.

Sources close to the discussion revealed that the proposed partnership will focus on increasing HIV/AIDS awareness and access to prevention and treatment services among adolescents, promoting reproductive health education, and establishing community-based skills development programs for young women and girls.

TASO, which has been instrumental in the national HIV/AIDS response since 1987, continues to explore partnerships that align with its mission to improve health and quality of life.

The organization’s vast experience in community health programs is expected to complement AKADEF’s grassroots outreach and cultural influence in Teso.