European Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European Union Law - Essay Example 1. Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TEFU). 2. Regulation (EU) No. 492/2011 of 05.04.2011. 3. Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 4. Council Regulations No 312/76 and 2434/92. 5. Article 38 (1) Directive No 2004/38/EC. 6. Directive 2004/38/EC of 29.04.2004 on the rights of citizens and their family members 7. Directive No 98/49/EC dt 29.06.1998 in regard to pension rights of workers and self-employed persons within the community.1 Article 45 of the TEFU along with secondary legislations and case law accord the fundamental rights for the EU citizens such as the right to seek job in another EU member state, right to get employed without a work permit, right to have residence therein for the purpose of employment and right to continue to stay in the member country after the employment has ceased and to be eligible for equal treatment with nationals of the member state in respect of employment rights, working conditions and other social and tax benefits. These ri ghts may vary for self-employed, students and retired or economically non-active persons. The rights are subject to public security, public policy, health grounds and employment restrictions in the public sector.2 The wording of â€Å"workers† related to free movement in Directive 2004/38/ EC is somewhat misleading since the Directive is aimed at according right of free movement to â€Å"EU† citizens in general though the directive makes a distinction between economically active and non-active citizens. Thus, Directive 2004/38/ EC is applicable to all EU citizens who move to another member state (host state) other than their home state of which they are nationals. Thus, the union citizens can reside in a home state for three months without any formalities other than holding of a passport or an identity card subject to a more favourable treatment available to job-seekers as per the case law of the European Court of Justice 3 viz Levin v Staatssecretaris van Justitie 4 a nd Brian Francis Collins vs Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 5 However, the terminology of â€Å"worker† is ideally continued in view of special regulations related to work under the directive besides the advantages available to citizens who have worked or have been self-employed along with their family members in acquiring permanent residence even before the completion of five years of residence in the host state by virtue of Commission Regulation (EEC) No.125/170 of 29.06.1970 which confers right to workers to remain in the territory of a Member State pursuant to having been employed in that State and Council Directive 75/34/EEC of 17.12. 1974 conferring rights to citizens in a member state in the capacity of self-employed people. Thus, a worker entitled to free movement within the Union should be a national of one of the EU member states or that of Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein enjoying certain privileges. The European Court of Justice has given a wide interpret ation of the term â€Å"worker† to include part-time work6, trainees 7and remuneration in kind adding that the person should be carrying out an effective and genuine work as directed by another, to be considered as a worker. Besides, the concept of freedom of movement should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.8 Further, the ECJ has held that the job-seeking citizens should not be expelled if they show evidence of search of employment and chances of getting jobs. There

Literature Review About Depression and African-American high-school Essay

Literature Review About Depression and African-American high-school students - Essay Example Living with their predecessors’ legacy of being racially discriminated and historically exploited and abused by the White people may have left generational scars in their psyche, that even up to now, being Black in an urban setting remains to be an issue. Many social scientists, politicians, and the media tend to paint a bleak picture for youth living in predominantly Black urban settings in this country (Barbarin, 1993). Poverty, academic failure, early death due to poor health care and violence, drug abuse and addiction, high unemployment rates, teenage pregnancy, gangs, and high crime rates are some of the conditions highlighted to describe the state of the urban underclass in which children must develop and attempt to survive (Dryfoos, 1990; Halpern, 1990; Masten, Best, & Garmezy, 1990; Werner, 1990). Several researches have been done to explore the effects of such racial differences in the African American youth. During adolescent period, individuals are confronted with the necessity of effectively managing the psychological, emotional, and behavioral adjustments to physiological changes and the assumption of new roles within the family structure, the high school setting, and ones peer group (Stark, Spirito, Williams, & Buevremont, 1989). According to a recent report from the United States (US) Census Bureau (2001), African Americans currently comprise nearly 13% of the total US population. Over one-half of all African Americans in the US live in large urban areas, and more than 35% of African Americans under age 18 live in poverty (US Census Bureau, 1999). These figures suggest that African Americans are over-represented among the poor urban school-aged population. Because of environmental factors stemming from living in poverty (e.g., unemployment and exposure to crime and violence), researchers and educators have often applied the term "at risk" in reference to urban African American

Brief Management Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Brief Management Analysis - Term Paper Example Managed care organizations usually operate as business entities, to make sure that the limited resources are effectively utilized. The original aim of managed care was to stress on the safeguarding of health of the population instead of carrying out expensive interventions once the health of citizens had already been compromised (Risk, 2009). The expression ‘managed care’ speaks for a group of different arrangements that are still being amended and improved for the most part. Four factors are involved in the funding as well as delivery of health care options to the population. These include the suppliers of care, the consumers of the services, the procurer of the care, and the insurer who compensates for care. The expression ‘managed care’ may also be taken to mean preferred provider organizations (PPOs), health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and utilization review. The preferred provider organization (PPO), which works in league with healthcare providers , is responsible for providing covered services for a reasonable fee. Health care providers who operate under definite contracts are identified as ‘preferred providers’. ... The health maintenance organization also provides all the health-care services that are insured at a fixed price in the premium fee. The healthcare consumer has the option of adding co-payments when interested in making office visits as well as other healthcare services. HMOs are also in charge of delivering healthcare through the communication networks built formed among providers. Utilization review refers to the process of assessing the care that is supplied to individual consumers (Kongstvedt, 2009). Utilization review has been utilized broadly in prepaid health-care measures as well as fee-for-service indemnity. Its main objective is to reduce healthcare costs while also enhancing the quality of healthcare. Managed care organizations have historically included the implementation of different prevention initiatives (Risk, 2009). Many MNOs utilize quality improvement and internal performance-measurement systems like the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) to test and improve thei r services. Managed care organizations have become a principal source of health care for publicly funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid as well as the recipients of employer-funded care. In addition, MCOs stand for systems of organized care that usually concentrate on given social groups and are responsible for supporting objectives like prevention activities. The Managed Care Working Group has been at the fore front of proposing recommendations that can foster the integration into managed care of prevention practices. Cost Containment Cost containment proposals have an effect on health care systems through numerous ways. In the first place, cost containment can change the quality of care that

Aspects of Contract and Negligence for Business Essay

Aspects of Contract and Negligence for Business - Essay Example Under the contract law, the parties to the agreement are directly responsible for their performance or failure to discharge their duties as stipulated in the contract (Engel & Mccann 2009, P.146). Therefore, under contract law, individuals are responsible for failing to accomplish their promises to the other party while in tort liability arises due to commitment of civil wrong or breach of other peoples civil rights. Negligence Liability Under the law of contract, parties to the contract are considered careless where they partially, wrongly or totally fail to discharge their obligations according to the conditions of their agreement (Macqueen & Zimmermann 2006, p.145). For example, if a transporter was hired to ferry some goods belonging to another individual and fails to deliver the goods, then that transporter is liable for not . However, under the law of tort, a person is careless if he or acts wrongly or fails to act where they were required to do so hence causing another person harm. For example, in Vaughan – v – (Menlove 1937) 3 Bing N.C. 468 the defendant was given a warning that the stack he had kept would catch fire, but he said he could manage them (Macqueen & Zimmermann 2006, p.171). ... A business may be vicariously liable for tort committed by their workers to other people during the normal processes of discharging their official duties. For example in the case of Cassidy – v – Minister of Health 919512 K.B.343 where a patient was operated his left arm by the employees of the hospital, but out of the carelessness of the employees, the patient hand sustained permanent damages hence rendering it ineffective (Bergelson 2009, P. 58). The patient sued the hospital, and the hospital was held responsible for their workers’ carelessness. However, in order for the employer to be responsible for their employee’s tort, the employees should have acted under their usual way of discharging their duties and must be under full control of their employers who also pays their salaries. Scenario Tort refers to commission of wrongful act to other people or failure to do right to other people when one has a responsibility to do it, hence causing injury to oth ers whom he owned duty to serve responsibly (Engel & Mccann 2009, P. 149). For a plaintiff to succeed in a legal suit against defendant for tort, he or she has to prove that the defendant was in charge of protecting the act or omission from happening. The plaintiff is also liable to prove to the court that the defendant actually defied his or her responsibility to protect the plaintiff. However, it is not enough that the defendant acted irresponsibly or failed to act as required b the law, but the plaintiff should confirm that it was through defendants conduct they sustained injuries. At times, the conducts of the defendants my cause injury to the plaintiff without defendant

Int'l Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Int'l Business - Research Paper Example It is also important to note that Union Carbide could have developed and implemented an effective alarm and early warning signal system in order to raise the alert for hazardous leaking of gas. This was however, not presents at the factory and resultantly firm was involved in one of the worst industrial disasters in the world. Apart from this, protocols should have been set in order to ensure the swift evacuation of the persons working at the plant as well as people living in and around the plant area in order to ensure that damage was minimum. (Muller) In all, Union Carbide should have in place an effective safety and security mechanism in order to deal with such incidents. 2) Corporate response to such an incident always requires that the firm clearly establish that all the necessary requirements to meet such challenges have been put in place. By having an effective system and plan in place, the overall response could have been different because firm could than claim that all the s afety procedures were in place and as such the incident was something which was beyond the control of the firm. Such a planning therefore would have allowed Union Carbide to actually improve its reputation and goodwill within the Indian and global market. Apart from this, firms can find a common ground to develop the actions of mutual value and interest which could ultimately increase the overall good will and image of the organization within the communities in which they operate. (Clouse and Riddell) 3) Union Carbide has the history of environmental damage as well as inadequate safety procedures in place. Though the firm may be one of the largest industrial groups in United States however, considering its overall track record of not following the safety and environmental protection laws and regulations, the overall implications for the construction of a new plant in Malaysia could be significant. One of the key areas to be highlighted is whether the firm would be able to comply wit h the local as well as international safety standards while constructing a new plant. As mentioned in the case that there will be no double standards and all the safety and security requirements will be fulfilled suggest that the overall implications may not be as sever as they were in case of Bhopal. It is also critical to note however, that Kerteh is oil and gas city for Malaysia with very little population therefore if such an incident occurs again, the overall damage in terms of human causalities will be relatively less. Since Bhopal was a densely populated city as compared to Kerteh therefore the overall implications in terms of causalities may be low however, the damage to environment can be relatively higher. (Shrivastava and Siomkos) 4) Union Carbide is still the center of attraction because of its track record of violating the safety regulations. The discovery of highly toxic material near the Olympic site in Australia as well as the subsequent fires at the Indian plant do indicate that the firm is still not following the strict safety and security requirements. These incidents indicate that Union Carbide, in a bid to become cost effective is ignoring basic safety and environmental protection requirements to be put in place. (Kurzman). It is therefore critical to note that the cost reduction at the cost of human and environmental catastrophe may

Mineral Physical Properties Essay Example for Free

Mineral Physical Properties Essay A mineral refers to an inorganic element or compound that is naturally occurring in a solid state and has a specific chemical composition and a regular, internal crystalline structure. A mineral has a highly ordered structure and particular physical properties. Some of the varying physical characteristics of mineral include color, lustre and habit. Color is the first physical property of minerals that varies between same mineral. Color is an apparent aspect in minerals but it proves unreliable in identifying minerals. It occurs due to the minerals light absorbing and reflecting properties. The variability of color between the samples of the same mineral exists because color mainly comes about as a result of electronic alterations. For instance, quartz is found in different colors such as black, white, purple, pink, blue or clear. It is observable that completely varying materials may have the similar color. Secondly, lustre is a mineral physical property that varies among the same mineral. This refers to the amount of light that it reflects from its surface. A mineral may appear differently depending on the quality, intensity or quantity of light that it reflects. The mineral for instance may appear metallic or sub metallic or may appear splendent, shining or dull. Finally, the habit is another varying physical property. It refers to the crystal’s shape of the mineral. The habit is usually shaped by the conditions under which the metal grew. It is common for a mineral to have many varying habits. The habit of a mineral may be described as the habit of crystals or the habit of crystal aggregates (Ernest, 1995). Conclusion Mineral physical property can be relied on during identification of mineral. However, certain physical properties show a range of characteristics making them less reliable in the identification process. Reference Ernest, Nickel. (1995). Mineral Resources: The Definition and Properties of a Mineral. New York: Hill and Wang.

HIV Prevalence in Uganda

HIV Prevalence in Uganda Uganda (HIV/AIDS) Section 1: Between 2002-2011, the international non-profit NGO AVSI Foundation has supported Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH) prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) program in four Northern Ugandan districts: Kitgum, Lamwo, Pader, and Agago. The program â€Å"aimed to be comprehensive, emphasizing social and medical care and support† and was successful in reducing HIV prevalence among HIV-exposed infants from 10.3% in 2004 to 5.0% in 2011, among other things. The MoH/AVSI PMTCT sites showed how a â€Å"comprehensive PMTCT program emphasizing social and community engagement alongside medical care and support can succeed in a remote setting with multiple challenges† (3). Despite the advances of the MoH/AVSI program, HIV/AIDS remains a critical issue in Uganda. Northern Uganda especially faces dispropriate challenges and adversities in regards to the national HIV/AIDS epidemic response. In 2011, the Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey measured a national HIV prevalence of 7.3%, but the HIV prevalence in northern Uganda specifically was shown to be 8.3%. Also, Uganda has one of the largest crude birth rates in the world. In 2011 Ugandas birth rate was 42.1/1000 (3). In addition, Northern Uganda has faced great adversity from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) during the period 1986-2006. There was an estimated two million individuals mandated to live in internally displaced people (IDP) camps from this violent discord (3). The fallout from the war between the government and the LRA had worsened already sparse health services in the north. Due to the high birth rate, HIV prevalence, and structural violence faced in northern Uganda, the AVSI Foundation proposes to extend the MoH/AVSI PMTCT program for an additional five years with support from the Global Fund. Support from the Global Fund will allow us to broaden PMTCT services in 24 Northern Uganda MoH facilities (located in Kitgum, Lamwo, Pader, and Agago) and help expand these sustainable PMTCT service sites to other MoH facilities nationwide. Estimated Populations (2011) of Targeted Northern Ugandan Districts Kitgum 222,737 Lamwo 164,754 Pader 237,100 Agago 285,300 Link to Map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zZ1ADMHAfHkY.krdFRCFxMCRQ Section 2: Goal: Impact Indicators Baseline* (Year 1) Target (Year 5) Reduction in HIV incidence among HIV-exposed infants 5% 3% *2011 estimate The first and foremost goal is to reduce HIV incidence among HIV-exposed infants by reducing Mother-to-child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV. MTCT occurs when an HIV-positive mother infects her infant with HIV during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding (1). Yet, the risk of transmission can be reduced to less than 5% if mothers undergo proper maternal ART treatment. The diagram below illustrates the many steps mothers need to take to successfully complete a PMTCT program. This series of complex steps is why it is absolutely critical to assist Ugandan mothers as much as possible to make successfully complete our program. However, even if HIV-positive mothers complete a PMTCT program in all of its entirety and give birth to an HIV-free infant, infants still remain at risk of HIV infection. Other channels, such as contaminated needles, can infect an infant who was initially born HIV-free. Thus, maintaining and promoting strict sanitation procedures, alongside a strong PMTCT program, is absolutely critical in reducing HIV incidence among HIV-exposed infants. The table below summarizes the PMTCT Indicators â€Å"number of HIV-exposed children (18 months or younger) tested† and the â€Å"number of HIV-exposed children (18 months or younger) that tested HIV-positive† measured by the MoH/AVSI program between 2002-2011. This data was used to formulate Year 1 and project a realistic target for Year 5. Section 3: Objectives: Outcome/coverage indicators Baseline* (Year 1) Target (Year 5) Increase the proportion of HIV-positive women who deliver in health facilities 81.1% 95% Increase the number of mothers who undergo HIV testing (in ANC) 96% 98% Increase proportion of HIV-positive mothers on ART treatment 78.5% 95% Increase antenatal care attendance (mothers) 20,032 50,000 *2011 estimate One of the main objectives is to increase the proportion of HIV-positive women who deliver in health facilities. It is absolutely critical for HIV-positive women to deliver in health facilities. After all, health facilities can provide better medical care and support than a traditional midwife would be able to in a home delivery. Furthermore, health facilities have more resources, equipment, and personnel to respond to any emergencies during delivery. Above all, delivering in a health facility will better guarantee the infant receives the appropriate antivirals need to PMTCT. HIV-positive women delivering at home run a higher risk of these crucial medications not being administered. Thus, increasing the proportion of HIV-positive women who deliver in health facilities better protects both the mother and the child, than a home delivery. The table below summarizes the PMTCT Indicator â€Å"percentage of HIV-positive women who delivered in health facilities† measured by the MoH/AVSI program between 2002-2011. This data was used to formulate Year 1 and project a realistic target for Year 5. Another objective is to increase the number of mothers who undergo HIV testing while in ANC. There are clearly many benefits for at risk individuals undergoing HIV-testing. However, the benefits of having undergone an HIV test are lost if the patient does not return to learn their result. Thus, it is absolutely crucial for our program will utilize â€Å"rapid testing at a women’s first antenatal clinic visit† (1). In contrast to a â€Å"conventional HIV test† that can take days or even weeks to attain results, â€Å"rapid tests can produce a result in as little as twenty minutes† (1). This will allow reduce the number of HIV-positive women who are lost from lack of follow-up and will also facilitate rapid enrollment of HIV-positive pregnant women into PMTCT program services. The table below summarizes the PMTCT Indicator â€Å"ANC women tested for HIV† measured by the MoH/AVSI program between 2002-2011. This data was used to formulate Year 1 and project a realistic target for Year 5. Another objective is to increase proportion of HIV-positive mothers on ART treatment (e.g. antiretroviral prophylaxis or triple antiretroviral therapy, depending on the circumstance). However, â€Å"to be fully effective, antiretroviral medication needs to reach newborn babies as well as their mothers† (1). The table below summarizes the PMTCT Indicators â€Å"number of HIV-positive women who received ARV prophylaxis† and â€Å"percentage of ANC HIV-positive women started on prophylaxis† measured by the MoH/AVSI program between 2002-2011. This data was used to formulate Year 1 and project a realistic target for Year 5. Specifically, our program will utilize and adhere to the 2013 World Health Organization’s (WHO) Option B guidelines for PMTCT (until subsequent more effective recommendation plans replace it). The WHO’s 2013 Option B advocates to provide â€Å"Provide all HIV-positive pregnant or breastfeeding women with a course of antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission† (2). They explicitly state that a triple-drug antiretroviral treatment should be administered throughout pregnancy and delivery. Furthermore, breastfeeding mothers should persist on the triple-drug antiretroviral treatment until at least one week after stopping breastfeeding. The steps and procedures of Option B are outlined in the flowchart below. Another objective is to Increase antenatal (ANC) care attendance for mothers. After it has been shown that â€Å"A number of clinical processes, such as antenatal care and safe delivery, can improve the health of both mother and child† (4). ANC services offer certainly offer many benefits for mothers but their benefits (just like in HIV-testing), are lost if women do not take advantage and utilize these services. There are numerous reasons a mother may not seek ANC services, even if they are â€Å"free†. A huge factor is accessibility difficulties. Pregnant women in low income countries, like Uganda, often have an increased difficulty in utilizing maternal programs because of their busy schedules. They are heavily occupied in caring for children, working, and running numerous kinds of other errands. Furthermore, many mothers live far away from health clinics and may lack a reliable means of travel. Both of these issues creates a huge barrier for women who need antenatal care services, but struggle to access it. Thus, our program will offer basic care and support services (such as food/transportation vouchers, housing assistance, and child-care services) to help increase ANC attendance. After all organizations, such as Partners in Health, have proven that by seeking to overcome the â€Å"social barriers† to accessing care by implementing â€Å"wraparound services [e.g. transportation costs ]† can help in addressing some of the â€Å"social and economic determinants of ill health† (4). The table below summarizes the PMTCT Indicator â€Å"ANC attendance† measured by the MoH/AVSI program between 2002-2011. This data was used to formulate Year 1 and project a realistic target for Year 5. Section 4: Activities: Main Activities Process/Output Indicators Program Year 1 Target Program Year 5 Target Responsible/implementing agencies Free/accessible HIV testing and antenatal care services for mothers ANC attendance (# persons) 30,000 50,000 Ministry of Health Maternal mobile teams Number home-births assisted 2,000 10,000 AVSI HIV counseling for mothers and their partners % HIV-positive mothers participating in therapy 25% 50% AVSI One of the main activities to be conducted is providing free and accessible HIV testing and antenatal care for mothers. Indeed, it has been proven, on behalf of the structural adjustment era, that â€Å"user fees in many resource-poor settings deterred the poor from accessing any health services (4). Likewise, charging service fees for PMTCT services would create a huge barrier for the poorest northern Ugandan mothers. On the other hand, providing financial support to mothers would encourage and give incentive for mothers to continue to attend and adhere to PMTCT program services. Thus, financial support will be given to mothers who attain antenatal services and HIV testing. This will not only help support poor Ugandan mothers, but will also reduces the likelihood of mothers being lost by lack of follow-up. Another activity that will be conducted is using maternal mobile teams to reach at risk mothers who have an increased difficulty and/or refusal to travel. After all, some pregnant women, despite being offered transportation services and/or financial support, will refuse to deliver in health facilities for whatever reason. Therefore, maternal mobile teams will be trained to provide â€Å"services such as HIV education, testing and counseling, and advice on infant feeding† (1). Maternal mobile teams should be used for the women who deliver at home and ensure that those who have tested positive for HIV have access to the essential antiretrovirals needed for PMTCT. Indeed, keeping track of mothers (especially HIV-positive mothers) who plan to delivery at home will be a challenge. Consequently, this will be a major a coordinating responsibility of community health workers who will be responsible for the gathering the necessary records (i.e. HIV-positive pregnant mothers) to pass on to the maternal mobile teams. Additionally, HIV counseling for mothers and their partners will be provided at no cost. Indeed, biomedical treatments are not the only thing needed for a successful HIV intervention. Social and emotional support are also crucial. Unfortunately it can sometimes prove difficult to persuade men to attend such services that are often regarded as â€Å"women’s clinics dealing with women’s issues† (1). Nevertheless, another vital activity will be to train and engage community health workers who will be paid to promote maternal education and social support to mothers. After all, the use of expert clients and other community-based volunteers helps reduce the stigma and discrimination of mothers living with HIV. It also helps improve the utilization of basic care services and adherence to Antiretroviral (ARV) Therapy. The term â€Å"expert clients† refers to people who are currently HIV/AIDs positive who serve as experienced role models for other PLHIV. Currently, expert clients work in almost every Ugandan ART site, engaging in various activities ranging from promoting health education to providing psychosocial support for PLHIV. Furthermore, mothers will be either followed up with an invitation to come to the health facility for specific interventions/services or visited by a team of health professionals (i.e. a maternal mobile team). Section 5: Our goals and objectives fit within the National Plan because they complement and scale-up an HIV infection prevention campaign to one of the most disadvantaged regions in the country, Karamoja. This 2013 campaign, called Elimination of Mother-to-Child-Transmission of HIV (eMTCT), is part of the Ugandan government’s large-scaled efforts to prevent new HIV infections. Furthermore, our goals and objectives further assist Uganda in their Ministry of Health 2010-2015 Scale Up Plan for PMTCT that aims to achieve an HIV-free generation of Ugandans by 2015 through the virtual elimination of MTCT of HIV, which utilizes a Sector-Wide Approach (1). Indeed, it is extremely critical to work with the public sector and not against the public sector. Our program is committed to working in public sector PMTCT health systems because â€Å"only governments can enshrine health as a human right and then implement programs to safeguard this right for its citizens on a national scale† (4). Section 6: a) We will involve Ugandan mothers by providing HIV counseling services for mothers and their partners. Social support is a crucial component of providing medical services. Indeed it has been shown that when â€Å"male partners are involved, both partners can get tested for HIV, know their status, and therefore improve the baby’s chances of a healthy survival† (1). Furthermore, counselors are better able to â€Å"emphasise the man’s responsibility for protecting the health of his partner and family† and can also advance the use of PMTCT services, â€Å"resulting in much higher rates of treatment uptake† (1). b) Community participation will be fostered by using community health workers to promote awareness, attendance, and adherence to PMTCT services. Specifically, community-based female volunteers who are â€Å"expert clients† (current HIV-positive mothers who serve as mentors and have experience with overcoming HIV-related stigma) will especially be invaluable. After all, community health workers can gain the trust of mothers who will thus be more likely to adhere to PMTCT services. c) This PMTCT campaign will help to improve the status of women in Uganda by empowering mothers to be active, confident, and assertive actors in the health of their children. Indeed, educating women is crucial to improving the health of infants. By increasing maternal education for mothers, indicators such as infant mortality will be reduced. d) Social equality is promoted by providing free antenatal care, HIV testing, and free antiretroviral treatment (WHO’s Option B); we are removing the financial barrier that would keep the poorest mothers from attaining maternal services. Indeed it is of the utmost importance to avoid punitive user fees† and other â€Å"cost-sharing devices that shift the burden of payment to those least able to pay† (4). As mentioned previously, charging user fees for services would exclude poorer populations. Not only will free treatment be provided, but financial support will be given to women who adhere to therapy. e) There will be an emphasis on education and expansion of programs nationwide to promote human resources development. We will train community health workers. These community health workers will pass on their training to mothers. These mothers will likewise be encouraged to share their acquired knowledge with friends, relatives, and other community members. In other words, creating a dynamic chain reaction of teaching will be a huge focus of this program. Moreover, we wish to spread the effectiveness of our PMTCT program from northern Uganda to other parts of the country. After all, â€Å"addressing maternal and child health comprehensively will require training more health workers; strengthening referral networks between communities, health centers, and hospitals; and ensuring adequate supplies at care centers- all elements of a robust health system† (4). Section 7: There may be potential opposition from the local context regarding the empowering of women our services inevitably (and justly) bring. According to the Foundation for Sustainable Development, â€Å"women face . . . discrimination, low social status, lack of economic self sufficiency, and greater risk of HIV/AIDS infection† (5). Because women typically have lower status than men in Uganda, some natives may potentially view this education and empowerment of women as a threat to their culture. The best way to address it will be to involve the mothers boyfriends, husbands, etc as much as possible in the lessons and counseling. Promoting equity is a crucial measure and indicator of a successful program. Another potential opposition to the plan will be the barrier of HIV-testing stigma that keeps mothers from getting HIV-testing. The best way to address this is to integrate HIV-testing as a standard part of antenatal care. Instead of asking women if they would like to â€Å"opt in† (receive HIV- testing), one would only ask them if they would like to â€Å"opt out† (not receive HIV-testing). In other words, if HIV-testing is set as the default option, women will be more comfortable with receiving it. And thus, overtime, HIV-testing will be normalized and become common practice, which will help remove the barrier of stigma. In brief, removing the â€Å"special status given to HIV testing helps to make it more acceptable† (1) Finally, any other existing NGOs in the area who are doing similar PMTC work may create conflict with our plan. There may be some â€Å"turf war† as different NGOs commonly have different agendas. The best way to address any NGO conflict is to do preliminary research to ensure we set up the PMTCT care services in areas that are not disrupting any â€Å"parallel programs†. References AIDS Education and Research Trust. Preventing PMTCT. AVERT. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. http://www.avert.org/preventing-mother-child-transmission-pmtct-practice.htm>. AIDS Education and Research Trust. WHO Guidelines. AVERT. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. http://www.avert.org/who-guidelines-pmtct-breastfeeding.htm>. Bannink-Mbazzi, Femke, MA. High PMTCT Program Uptake and Coverage of Mothers, Their Partners, and Babies in Northern Uganda: Achievements and Lessons Learned Over 10 Years of Implementation (2002–2011). Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 62.5 (2013). JAIDS. Lippincott Williams Wilkins, Inc., 27 July 2012. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Fulltext/2013/04150/High_PMTCT_Program_Uptake_and_Coverage_of_Mothers,.20.aspx>. Farmer, Paul. Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction. Berkeley: University of California, 2013. Print. Gender Equity Issues in Uganda. Gender Equity Issues in Uganda. Foundation for Sustainable Development. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. http://fsdinternational.org/country/uganda/weissues>.