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Geoffrey Taasi
Program Officer, HIV Testing Services, Ministry of health, Uganda
Kampala
Summary
I am an HIV prevention and public health specialist, with over 10years experience in HIV programming, reproductive health and development work. I have been working as the Program officer HIV Testing services Testing services at the Ministry of Health in Uganda. I have successfully steered and led the revision of the Uganda HTS guidelines trice in 15years, I have coordinated and supervised Quality Improvement Initiatives and Interventions including integrating Quality improvement HIV testing services, Pediatric HIV care and PMTCT. Grant writing, grant making during NFM3 and GC7 have been some of my core roles. I started the HIV self testing Program, and Uganda was awarded a matching fund for HIVST during my leadership of the HIV testing Program. I am currently involved in HIV programming across all HIV Prevention interventions including HTS, PMTCT, Prep, PeP, AGYW and key and priority populations. I provide a core function to the care and treatment team to ensure all HIV positive individuals are linked to care. Currently, MOH is developing the HIV testing optimization plan for AGYW to support the National optimization plan. I have engaged in research to inform policy and Programming in Uganda notably; HIV self testing randomized trials, accuracy and cost effectiveness studies. The Uganda population HIV Impact assessment (UPHIA I &II), Evaluation of HIV testing eligibility screening tools, Pediatric case finding, PMTCT impact evaluation, HIVST evaluations and co-authored over 30 peer reviewed publications. I have therefore developed extensive research skills for operations research, population-based surveys and clinical trials.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
2006
2006
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Languages
Work History
Program Officer, HIV Testing Services
Ministry of Health
1 2014 - Current
- Coordinate the development and review of policies, plans, strategies, guidelines and standards in HCT, coordinated and their implementation
- Providing guidance in strategic, business and operational planning and budgeting in either HCT or IEC/BCC activities
Independent Consultant
HEADCOME Communications limited
01.2014 - 12.2015
Program Officer, Paediatric HIV Counselling and Testing campaign
Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care, Makerere University
01.2012 - 12.2013
Project Officer, Promoting Safer Choices for Adolescents-ProSCAd/USAID
Family Life Network
07.2004 - 02.2006
- Family Life Network Program officer, IEC/BCC- Secondary Schools
Base camp Coordinator
Family Life Network
01.2003 - 12.2004
Education
BSC - Computer Science
Makerere University
Certificate - Medical Laboratory Technology
CHEMIQUIP Lab Training School
PG - Counselling and Guidance
Ndejje University
MPH - Public health, Epidemiology
Bugema University
PG (C&G) - Development Studies
Bugema University
Skills
Proposal Writing
Biographicalsketch
Geoffrey Taasi, MPH, Program Officer, HIV Testing Services, Ministry of Health, Uganda, I am an HIV prevention and public health specialist, with over 10 years experience in HIV programming, reproductive health and development work. I have been working as the Program officer HIV Testing services at the Ministry of Health in Uganda. I have successfully steered and led the revision of the Uganda HTS guidelines thrice in 15 years, I have coordinated and supervised Quality Improvement Initiatives and Interventions including integrating Quality improvement HIV testing services, Pediatric HIV care and PMTCT. Grant writing, grant making during NFM3 and GC7 have been some of my core roles. I started the HIV self-testing Program, and Uganda was awarded a matching fund for HIVST during my leadership of the HIV testing Program. I am currently involved in HIV programming across all HIV Prevention interventions including HTS, PMTCT, PrEP, PEP, AGYW and key and priority populations. I provide a core function to the care and treatment team to ensure all HIV positive individuals are linked to care. Currently, MOH is developing the HIV testing optimization plan for AGYW to support the National optimization plan. I have engaged in research to inform policy and Programming in Uganda notably; HIV self-testing randomized trials, accuracy and cost-effectiveness studies. The Uganda population HIV Impact assessment (UPHIA I & II), Evaluation of HIV testing eligibility screening tools, Pediatric case finding, PMTCT impact evaluation, HIVST evaluations and co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. I have therefore developed extensive research skills for operations research, population-based surveys and clinical trials., Program Officer, HIV Testing Services, AIDS Control Program, 01/2014, present, Coordinate the development and review of policies, plans, strategies, guidelines and standards in HCT, coordinated and their implementation, Providing guidance in strategic, business and operational planning and budgeting in either HCT or IEC/BCC activities, Program Officer, Paediatric HIV Counselling and Testing campaign, 01/2012, 12/2013, Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care, Makerere University, Independent Consultant, 01/2014, 12/2015, HEADCOME Communications limited, Project Officer, Promoting Safer Choices for Adolescents-ProSCAd/USAID Family Life Network, 07/2004, 02/2006, Family Life Network Program officer, IEC/BCC- Secondary Schools, Base camp Coordinator, 01/2003, 12/2004, Family Life network, Member of the 'Men and HIV (MENHT)' global TWG, 01/2021, present, WHO, Member of the global TWG for HIV testing services, 01/2020, present, WHO, Chair of the National HIV Self testing National task team, 01/2020, present, Chair of the National APN task team, 01/2020, present, Member of the Incident management Lab Committee (National Incident Team) for COVID 19, 01/2019, present, Member of the National TWG for Differentiated service Delivery (DSD) for HIV Services, 01/2019, present, National expert member on Self Care Expert group (SCEG) for Uganda, 01/2019, present, Member of the DREAMS and Key populations (Kps) TWGs for Uganda, 01/2019, present, MOH Collaborator for the Uganda, HIV+D (HIV and depression) study, 01/2018, present, Chair of the National HIV testing TWG for Uganda, 01/2017, present, Full Member of the Uganda Counseling Association, 01/2015, present, Abstract reviewer for the Annual Capacity building Conference for the Regional AIDS Training Network, 01/2010, present, Nairobi and Johannesburg, Member of the Uganda Counselling Association, 01/2015, present, Reviewer for PLOS ONE journal, 01/2020, present, Member, Uganda Counseling Association, 01/2005, present, Lead Consultant, Behavior Change Communications Limited (BCC Uganda), 01/2010, 12/2015, Consultant Health and Development communication (Headcom Uganda), 01/2016, present, Member, International AIDS society, 01/2017, present, Factors Associated with Linkage to HIV Care Among Oral Self-Tested HIV Positive Adults in Uganda, 2022, The Uganda Population HIV Impact Assessment, 2020, PATEST: The Pediatric and Adolescent HIV screening tool evaluation study for Uganda, 2019, The HIV+D study, Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrating the management of depression into routine HIV Care in Uganda, 2019, Costs of Providing HIV Self-Test Kits to Pregnant Women Living with HIV for Secondary Distribution to Male Partners in Uganda, 2019, Low proportion of women who came knowing their HIV status at first antenatal care visit, Uganda, 2012-2016, 2018, Validation of the Adult HIV Testing screening eligibility tool in Uganda (MOH & CHAI), 2018, The Uganda Population HIV Impact assessment (UPHIA 1), 2017, HIV self-test performance among female sex workers in Kampala, Uganda: a cross-sectional study, 2016, Operational evaluation of the Alere Combo HIV test in Uganda, 2016, Direct provision versus facility collection of HIV self-tests among female sex workers in Uganda: A cluster-randomized controlled health systems trial, 2016, Active pediatric HIV case finding in Kenya and Uganda: A look at missed opportunities along the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) cascade, 2014, Improving Identification and Linkage to care of HIV positive children and adolescents HTS (MOH & EGPAF), 2014, Improving Retention in PMTCT (MOH & EGPAF), 2009, Pilot for Paed and adolescent HIV communication and treatment Program, 2009, IAS 2024, The role of AI in HIV Prevention: The Uganda blood based HIVST experience, Panelist, ICASA 2023, Harare, HIVST in the Private sector, the Uganda experience, IAS 2022, Montreal, The one dollar HIVST launch, Panelist, IAS 2018, Netherlands, Roll out of HIVST in Uganda, ICASA 2018, Kigali Rwanda, Performance evaluation of the Determine Early detect 4th generation kit, HIVST implementation in Uganda, IAS 2017, Direct provision versus facility based collection of HIV self testing among female sex workers in Kampala, IAS 2017, Trial of a peer based distribution model of HIV self testing among fishermen in Bulisa district, IAS 2020, HIV self test performance among sex workers in Kampala, ASLM conference, 2016, Improving quality of HIV rapid testing in Uganda. The Uganda ECHO Experience, Capacity building in scaling up pediatric HIV care; The case of Uganda, Johannesburg, South Africa, The effectiveness of Community Mobilization in increasing uptake of Pediatric ART services; The Uganda experience, Johannesburg, 2013, The role and effectiveness of coaching and mentorship in capacity building for HCT, a case of NUMAT in Uganda, Nairobi, 2013, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, MPH, 05/2014, Master of Public Health, Epidemiology, CHEMIQUIP Lab Training School, Wakiso, Uganda, Certificate, 12/2002, Medical Laboratory Technology, Ndejje University, Kampala, Uganda, PG (C&G), 12/2009, Counselling and Guidance, Bugema University, Kampala, Uganda, BSC, 12/2006, Computer Science
Timeline
Independent Consultant
HEADCOME Communications limited
01.2014 - 12.2015
Program Officer, Paediatric HIV Counselling and Testing campaign
Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care, Makerere University
01.2012 - 12.2013
Project Officer, Promoting Safer Choices for Adolescents-ProSCAd/USAID
Family Life Network
07.2004 - 02.2006
Base camp Coordinator
Family Life Network
01.2003 - 12.2004
Certificate - Medical Laboratory Technology
CHEMIQUIP Lab Training School
PG - Counselling and Guidance
Ndejje University
MPH - Public health, Epidemiology
Bugema University
PG (C&G) - Development Studies
Bugema University
Program Officer, HIV Testing Services
Ministry of Health
1 2014 - Current
BSC - Computer Science
Makerere University
Accomplishments
I led three policy reviews for HIV Testing Services in Uganda at the Ministry of Health.I introduced HIVST as a program in Uganda. This started from research to policy and Programming
During my time at the Ministry of health, I participated in review and development of guidelines and policies
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Software
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
French
Intermediate (B1)
Swahili
Upper intermediate (B2)
Quote
There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality.
Tony Robbins
Interests
Reading, Music, Travelling, writing
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