Kenya
Total Treatment Sites:		2
Treatment Site Location(s):		Mombasa (Mtongwe) Kithituni
Patients on ART:		340
Patient Enrolled:		784
Report in PDF Format:		Kenya Country Report

Background & HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Kenya is roughly the size of the state of Texas and its gross national income per capita in 2007 was $680.  Life expectancy is around 55 years and Kenya’s Human Development Index ranking is 148 out of 177 countries.  English is the official language but Swahili is common and over 40 other local languages are spoken.  Until the post-election unrest of early 2008, Kenya had been considerably stable since independence in 1963.  The coalition government is currently working on a reform agenda that will include a new constitution by mid-2009 (US State Department, 2009).

The Kenyan government is a beneficiary of Global Fund grants and funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), both of which have greatly enhanced the accessibility of free HIV/AIDS services in Kenya, including antiretroviral treatment (ART).  As of September 2008, 229,700 people had received ART through PEPFAR support and in 2007, 61% of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).

However, there is still a great need for testing in Kenya as less than 25% of the general population has tested for HIV.  Also, there are close to 1 million currently living children under the age of 18 who have lost one or more parents to AIDS.

AHF Activities in Kenya

AHF and its partners initiated provision of HIV/AIDS services at the Mtongwe, Mombasa clinic based in South Coast at the beginning of 2008.  AHF provides general oversight, technical assistance in ART provision, continuing medical education, and human resource support.  At the clinic, patients can also access voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and PMTCT services.

In November 2008, AHF began the provision of ART at Kithituni clinic, 100 kilometers east of Nairobi, near Sultan Hamud in Eastern Province.  Here the Salvation Army implements a community-based outreach program to support clients.

As part of the AHF Mass Testing Initiative in 2008, the Mtongwe clinic participated with other partners in testing activities at Mombasa Football Stadium.  AHF conducted 1,116 tests and provided treatment referrals for the 52 (4.7%) individuals who tested positive.

Models of Care

Technical Assistance and Supervision

Direct Care

Training

Implementing Partners                                            

Kenyan Department of Defense

Mombasa City Council Health Department

Salvation Army