Noerine Kaleeba is a Ugandan

physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

, educator and AIDS activist. She is the co-founder of the AIDS activism group " The AIDS Support Organization" (TASO). She is currently a program development adviser for the

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) (, ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an e ...

(UNAIDS). She is also the Patron of TASO.

Background

Noerine Kaleeba specialised in

orthopaedics Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

, physiotherapy and community rehabilitation at

Makerere University Makerere University, Kampala (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922. It became an independent national university in 1970. Today, Makerere University is composed of ni ...

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

, and the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic & District Hospital in

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

, England. She has worked as a physiotherapist at

Mulago Hospital Mulago National Specialised Hospital, also known as Mulago National Referral Hospital, is a component of Mulago Hospital Complex, the teaching facility of Makerere University College of Health Sciences. It is the largest public hospital in Ug ...

, and was the principal of Mulago School of Physiotherapy until 1987.

TASO

In June 1986, Kaleeba received a call that her husband, Christopher, had become very sick while he was in England working on his masters in sociology and political science. He was diagnosed with AIDS. He died in January 1987, which caused Kaleeba to co-found a support group that same year, The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). The goal of the organization was to help provide support to people who have been diagnosed with AIDS and their loved ones. The organization provides families of those who are infected with information about the disease and ways to provide care, without becoming infected with the disease as well. The organization also offers care, support and counseling, as well as to mobilize communities and neighborhood care for people with

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

and their families. Based on the concept of "positive living", TASO was one of the first community responses to

AIDS in Africa HIV/AIDS originated in Africa in the early 20th century and is a major public health concern and cause of death in many African countries. AIDS rates vary significantly between countries, though the majority of cases are concentrated in Southern ...

and is today one of the leading examples in AIDS care and support and community education for prevention in resource-limited settings. Kaleeba worked as the executive director of TASO Uganda for eight years until 1995 when she retired, and was elected Patron of the TASO movement.

Current

Kaleeba still holds the position of Patron of the TASO movement. She also currently works as a program development adviser, Africa, for the "Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS" (UNAIDS). Since January 1996, she remains based at their secretariat in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

Accomplishments

Kaleeba has been awarded several international awards in recognition of her national and global anti-AIDS efforts, including: * The

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

International King Baudouin Prize for Development, awarded to TASO in 1995 *

Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

, Honorius Causa, in 2000 Kaleeba has served on various national and international bodies, including: * Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Nkumba University, Uganda, 2002 * Doctor of Law degree at the University of Dundee, Scotland, 2005 * Honorary Doctorate of International Relations (DIR) by the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, University of Switzerland, June 2009 * The

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

Global Commission on HIV/AIDS * The Global AIDS Policy Coalition * The Uganda AIDS Commission. * Chairperson for Action Aid International (2009)
Snr. Ashoka Fellow (2014)
She has been a trustee of international NGO boards such as Maristopes International, ''Noah's Ark (Sweden)'', and is currently vice-chair of

ActionAid ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide. ActionAid is a federation of 45 country offices that works with communities, often via local partner organis ...

. Her book, ''We Miss You All: AIDS In The Family'' is a touching account of how HIV/AIDS came into her life, and how she came to be on the front lines fighting the disease.

References

External links