International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa - ICWEA

What International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa - ICWEA does

ICWEA (International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa) is a regional advocacy organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Wakiso District, Uganda. It operates as a membership-based network of women living with HIV across five East African countries — Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi — and is distinguished by being led by and for HIV-positive women. Its core remit is advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV prevention, care and treatment access, and the meaningful involvement of women living with HIV in national and regional policy formulation. Programs include the multi-country SAFEStart+ consortium partnership with PATH and Women in Global Health (Unitaid-funded), the FIERCE awareness and policy campaign, Community-Led Monitoring instruments, and a small-grants facility disbursing USD 5,000–10,000 to Community-Led Organizations.

The organization's outputs are policy advocacy, community dialogues, position papers, and CLM data — delivered through a multi-channel stack spanning website content, social media, radio, press, and direct community engagement. Underlying assets are human rather than technological: a 20-year institutional memory, a credentialed lived-experience constituency, and embedded relationships with global health funders including Unitaid, the Global Fund, UNAIDS, and Cordaid (the latter recognized ICWEA with its 2012 HIV and AIDS Award).

Its business model is grant-funded non-profit: revenue is sourced primarily from institutional donors in the form of project-restricted grants and consortium co-financing, with no commercial product or service revenue. The organization does not monetize its data or advocacy outputs directly. Customer segments, in the donor sense, are concentrated among three to four major institutional funders, while beneficiaries — women and girls living with HIV across East Africa — represent a large, diffuse base. Geographic expansion occurs through consortium partnerships (notably SAFEStart+, spanning Africa, Asia, and Latin America) rather than through independent office buildouts.

Name

International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa - ICWEA

Legal name

The International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa

Website

https://icwea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICWEA is a Uganda-headquartered, membership-based advocacy network founded in 2005 for women living with HIV across five East African countries. It delivers policy advocacy, community-led monitoring, and partnerships such as the Unitaid-funded SAFEStart+ program on HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis elimination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HIV/AIDS Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAKAF

Disease-Specific Global Programs (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYHLAJAKAO

Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYHLAJAKAG

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYBPAGABAG

Child Protection & Child Rights

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

Keywords

• HIV/AIDS advocacy
• Sexual reproductive health rights
• Community-led monitoring
• Women health empowerment
• Nonprofit advocacy network

Headquarters

HQ city

Wakiso District

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: ICWEA operates primarily through grant funding from international donors and organizations including Unitaid, Global Fund, and other HIV/AIDS focused foundations and multilateral agencies. As a membership-based advocacy organization, revenue supports advocacy programs, community monitoring, and capacity building for women living with HIV across East Africa.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICWEA is a regional advocacy network and membership-based nonprofit that gives visibility to women living with HIV in Eastern Africa. It delivers advocacy on sexual and reproductive health rights, access to HIV prevention, care and treatment, and meaningful involvement of women in policy development, operating programs such as SAFEStart+ (elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis), the FIERCE HIV prevention campaign, community-led monitoring of health services, and publication of reports, toolkits, policy briefs, and newsletters. Its work is delivered free of charge to beneficiaries and is supported by grants from international donors including Unitaid and the Global Fund.

Product overview

ICWEA is a regional advocacy network and membership-based organization that serves women living with HIV across Eastern Africa. Rather than a unified technology product, ICWEA offers a portfolio of advocacy programs, campaigns, and knowledge products including the SAFEStart+ project (in partnership with PATH and World Hepatitis Alliance) for elimination of vertical transmission, the FIERCE Campaign for HIV prevention advocacy, Community-Led Monitoring initiatives, and publications (reports, toolkits, policy briefs, newsletters). The organization operates country offices in five East African nations and engages in advocacy on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Access to Prevention Care and Treatment, and Meaningful Involvement of Women Living With HIV.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SAFEStart+ Project A multi-country, community-led initiative focused on elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis, including small grants of US$5,000 to US$10,000 to community-led organizations and capacity-strengthening support, implemented in partnership with PATH and the World Hepatitis Alliance and funded by Unitaid.
• FIERCE Campaign An HIV prevention advocacy campaign promoting the HIV Prevention Choice Manifesto for women and girls in Africa and publishing rapid assessments of prevention needs and gaps.
• Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) A people-centered monitoring service that engages affected communities in assessing the quality of public health services, identifying gaps in HIV and related service delivery, and recommending solutions, with documented success in ending user fees and improving HIV care access.
• ICWEA Membership Network A regional advocacy network and membership-based organization that gives visibility to women living with HIV in Eastern Africa, providing a platform for members to participate in advocacy on sexual and reproductive health rights, HIV prevention, care and treatment, and meaningful involvement in policy development.

Quantifiable outcome

• SRHR study reached 744 women living with HIV plus 274 FGD participants and 63 key informant interviews across 9 districts
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026PATH is a co-lead partner in the 4-year SAFEStart+ project alongside ICWEA and World Hepatitis Alliance. The project focuses on elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis. PATH leads on technology and health systems expertise while ICWEA provides community engagement and civil society leadership.
• World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026WHA serves as co-lead partner in the SAFEStart+ project alongside ICWEA and PATH. The partnership addresses triple elimination of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis with focus on community-led responses and advocacy for affected populations.
• UNAIDSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNAIDS is a key international partner referenced in ICWEA's work, particularly regarding global AIDS updates, policy frameworks, and coordination of the HIV response. ICWEA participates in UNAIDS-led initiatives and uses their data for advocacy.
• National Forum of People Living HIV&AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAFOPHANU is the umbrella organization for people living with HIV in Uganda. ICWEA participated in a press conference organized by NAFOPHANU to oppose the dissolution of the Uganda AIDS Commission, demonstrating joint advocacy efforts.
• Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV (UGANET)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUGANET works with ICWEA on sexual reproductive health rights issues, particularly regarding forced and coerced sterilization of women living with HIV. UGANET provides legal expertise and policy analysis on HIV-related rights violations.
• KELIN (Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKELIN collaborated with ICWEA on legal advocacy, including a landmark case before the Kenya High Court that ruled jailing TB patients unconstitutional. KELIN serves as legal representatives in human rights cases related to HIV and TB.
• LINK UPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINK UP partnered with ICWEA and STOP AIDS NOW to disseminate findings of a study on violations of sexual and reproductive health rights of women living with HIV in Uganda.
• STOP AIDS NOWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTOP AIDS NOW collaborated with ICWEA and LINK UP on SRHR research and dissemination of findings on violations affecting women living with HIV in Uganda.
• Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEJNU partners with ICWEA to host science cafés - informal platforms for public engagement on HIV-related science and research topics such as the dapivirine vaginal ring studies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICWEastAfrica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@icweasternafrica1185
• Facebookfacebook.com/IcwEasternAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icwea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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