ACTV-Against Torture

What ACTV-Against Torture does

ACTV-Against Torture, formally the African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV), is a Ugandan non-governmental organization established in 1993 and headquartered in Kampala with a regional office in Gulu. It serves survivors of torture and violence — both Ugandan nationals and refugees — operating as a one-stop center delivering holistic rehabilitation across integrated medical, physiotherapy, mental health, social work, legal aid, advocacy, and research/documentation services. Medico-legal documentation is conducted under the Istanbul Protocol (1998/2021), and the organization is a registered Legal Aid Service Provider with the Uganda Law Council.

The organization's core service architecture comprises six interconnected departments: Medical Services, Mental Health Services, Social Work Services, Legal Aid Services, Advocacy and Communications, and Research and Documentation. Underlying these is the ACTV Management Information System, which coordinates organizational data for analysis and visualization. Service delivery is enabled through a community volunteer network across the Eastern, Rwenzori, Northern, and Central regions of Uganda, supplemented by medical outreaches, prison visits, and home visits. ACTV chairs the Coalition Against Torture in Uganda (CAT) and engages with the Uganda Human Rights Commission, JLOS, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

ACTV's revenue model is grant-based donor funding from a diversified portfolio of international development partners: DIGNITY, the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNVFVT), the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, the Government of Canada, USAID, IRCT, and NDI. All rehabilitation services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. ACTV is implementing a 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and is governed by a board chaired by Hon. John Livingstone Okello-Okello, with Samuel Herbert Nsubuga as CEO.

Name

ACTV-Against Torture

Legal name

African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims

Website

https://actvuganda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACTV-Against Torture is a Ugandan non-profit established in 1993 that provides holistic medical, mental health, legal aid, and social rehabilitation services to survivors of torture and violence, funded by international donors and operating across four regions of Uganda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights and Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPADAGAL

Transitional Justice, Accountability & Reparations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

Keywords

• Torture rehabilitation services
• Human rights advocacy
• Victim rehabilitation programs
• Legal aid services
• Mental health counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor Funding: ACTV operates as a non-governmental organization funded by international development partners and donors including governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACTV is a one-stop rehabilitation centre providing holistic services to survivors of torture and violence in Uganda. It delivers integrated medical treatment, physiotherapy, mental health counseling, social work support, legal aid, advocacy, and research/documentation services anchored on the Istanbul Protocol standards. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

ACTV is a one-stop centre offering holistic rehabilitation services to survivors of torture and violence. The organization operates as a unified service provider with interconnected departments including Medical Services, Mental Health Services, Social Work Services, Legal Aid Services, Advocacy and Communications, and Research and Documentation. These services work collaboratively to ensure complete recovery of survivors through physical treatment, psychological care, social support, legal redress, and evidence-based advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Services Medical treatment and physiotherapy services for torture and violence survivors, including screening, documentation per Istanbul Protocol standards, and provision of orthopedic appliances.
• Mental Health Services Psychological care including individual and group counseling, couple counseling, and brief family therapy for torture survivors with mental health challenges.
• Social Work Services Social counseling, home visits, and livelihood empowerment through skills training, income generating activities, and capacity building for torture survivors.
• Legal Aid Services Legal aid registered with Uganda Law Council, providing legal advice, case follow-ups, expert witnesses, and legal representation for torture survivors.
• Advocacy and Communications Evidence-based advocacy, capacity building, networking, and community awareness programs on anti-torture laws and human rights.
• Research and Documentation Monitoring and evaluation, research, and documentation services utilizing ACTV Management Information System for evidence-based advocacy.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network partner providing technical support, capacity building, and funding for rehabilitation of torture victims.
• National Democratic Institute (NDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization supporting democratic development and human rights programming.
• Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational human rights institution; ACTV partners with UHRC for preventive monitoring prison visits, advocacy, and policy engagement on torture.
• JLOS (Justice Law and Order Sector)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment sector-wide approach for justice delivery; ACTV collaborates with JLOS actors for legal aid and access to justice programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Physicians for Human Rights (PHR): PHR applies medical expertise to document torture and human rights abuses, including Istanbul-Protocol-based forensic evaluation. It shares ACTV's medico-legal documentation approach, though PHR operates globally with more emphasis on forensic science and accountability litigation.

Direct peers

• Refugee Law Project (Makerere University): Refugee Law Project is a Ugandan peer that combines legal aid, psychosocial support, and advocacy for refugees and torture survivors. It is co-listed in the CAT coalition with ACTV and operates overlapping legal aid and mental health services in Kampala and northern Uganda.
• DIGNITY (Danish Institute Against Torture): DIGNITY is the founding global organization in the torture-rehabilitation movement and a core ACTV funder. It runs multidisciplinary rehabilitation centers that combine medical, psychological, legal, and social support — the same one-stop model ACTV replicates in Uganda.
• Chapter Four Uganda: Chapter Four Uganda is a Kampala-based human rights and public-interest litigation organization. As a fellow CAT coalition member, it pursues strategic litigation, advocacy, and rights documentation in the same operating context as ACTV.
• National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Uganda (NCHRD-U): NCHRD-U is a national coalition that supports human rights defenders facing threats, combining protection, advocacy, and capacity building. It is a fellow CAT coalition member with overlapping work on rights documentation and state-actor engagement in Uganda.
• Center for Victims of Torture (CVT): CVT operates multidisciplinary torture-rehabilitation programs including medical, mental health, and social services — closely mirroring ACTV's holistic service model — and is one of the most established peer organizations in the IRCT network.
• Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI): FHRI is a Ugandan human rights organization providing legal aid, prison monitoring, and advocacy on civil and political rights. It is a coalition partner within CAT and serves overlapping beneficiary segments in Uganda.
• REDRESS: REDRESS is an international NGO that pursues legal accountability and reparations for torture survivors, combining strategic litigation, advocacy, and capacity building. It is a direct analogue to ACTV's legal aid, documentation, and advocacy work.

Broad incumbents

• International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT): IRCT is the global umbrella network of torture-rehabilitation centers of which ACTV is a member. It sets clinical and documentation standards (including Istanbul Protocol implementation) and channels capacity-building funds to member organizations comparable to ACTV.
• Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT): APT is a Geneva-based international NGO that works on torture prevention through monitoring mechanisms (e.g., NPMs, OPCAT) and policy advocacy. It operates in the same anti-torture field as ACTV but focuses upstream on prevention frameworks rather than survivor rehabilitation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/actvuganda
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCF-F2OBAiOvDVJKDkmZ4PpQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/African-Centre-for-Treatment-and-Rehabilitation-of-Torture-Victims-127197510630899
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/actvug

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ACTV-Against Torture