Ride To 95-95-95

In June 2021, the government of Uganda imposed a tight 42-day lockdown that included curfew and a ban on public transport in efforts to beat back Covid-19 cases.

With support from AIDS-Fondet, Lady Mermaid implemented the “Ride To 95 95 95” initiative that seeks to increase access to HIV services by sex workers, their clients and partners through use of boda-boda (motorcycle) riders to deliver HIV prevention kits.

Ms. Eve is a sex worker affected by the lockdown measures on public transport. Eve has been doing transit sex work for four years which involves moving from one site to another looking for customers.

Lockdown spells end to HIV services
At the beginning of the lockdown, Eve had travelled to Namataba, a sub-urban town on the eastern region transit route for work, 41 kms from the clinic  at Kiruddu Hospital, where she normally seeks her HIV services. Because of the ban on public transport, Eve had to stay in Namataba and wait for the lockdown to be lifted. This however, didn’t stop her need for HIV services.

”Just a few days into the lockdown, my PrEP drugs were done, I had to go back for refills and also getting some STI treatment, but I had no way back to Kiruddu Hospital,” explains Eve.

Ride 95-95-95 delivery
Instead, Eve benefitted from the ‘Ride To 95 95 95’ initiative by Lady Mermaid where she could order a HIV prevention kit with PrEP drugs, condoms, HIV self-testing kit as well as STI drugs – all delivered by the boda-boda driver David.