People Living With HIVAIDS Response to HIVAIDS in Kenya

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People Living With HIV/AIDS Response to
HIV/AIDS in Kenya

• Sept 2004

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People Living With HIV/AIDS PLWHAs)

• General Progress Since 2000
• Stigma reduction breaking of silence on
  HIV/AIDS is slowly improving.
• Notable behavioral change among PLWHA community
  and improved recognition of legal rights.
• PLWHA have been sensitised into acquiring skills
  and knowledge.
• Increased accessibility of Anti Retroviral
  Therapy in provincial and district hospitals.

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• Programmatic Lessons Learned
• It is important to have a national coordination
  body (NEPHAK) to ensure the inclusion of PLWHAs
  in the development and implementation of KNASP.
• There is still discrimination and stigma at
  workplace, church, schools and all
  levels(national to grassroots).
• There is need to scale up care and support
  programmes particularly access to treatment, OIs
  management, Integration of TB and HIV management
  and ARV provision.
• G.I.PA implementation needs to include PLWHA
  capacity building and empowerment in all areas
  Policy Making, Advocacy, Prevention, Care and
  Support, ME etc.

4
Programmatic Constraints

• Lack of finances compounded by bureaucracy in
  accessing funds, delay in disbursement and lack
  of skills in proposal writing.
• Lack of PLWHA empowerment e.g. the necessary
  knowledge and skills human rights policy
  making M.E. and in dealing with the issue of
  tokenism
• Misplaced priorities. A lot of resources used in
  conferences meetings unfair competition/commercia
  lization and the issue of commitment to fighting
  HIV/AIDS versus financial driving force e.g.
  issue of Briefcase NGOs.

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• Constraints Partnership
• Lack of commitment and transparency by some
  partnerships with regards to PLWHAs (PLWHAs feel
  ).
• Lack of well defined policy on partnerships.
• Diverse focus and interest among partners in
  different regions.

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• Partnership Coordination Lessons Learned
• Partnership facilitates sharing of experiences
  and capacity building.
• Partnership is key to stigma reduction.
• Involvement of partners at all stages of planning
  and management is critical and important in
  creating ownership and enhancing positive
  results.

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• Emerging Issues/Gaps
• Political interference and corruption.
• Lack of well defined communication/dissemination
  channels on disbursement of funds.
• Lack of well defined national policy on the
  greater involvement of PLWHAs.
• Lack of meaningful involvement of young people
  living with HIV/AIDS in HIV/AIDS programs.
• Lack of information/education on sexual and
  reproductive health of PLWHAs.
• A general ignorance on the sexual and
  reproductive needs of PLWHAs

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• Broad Priority Areas
• Special programs for PLWHAs living with
  disabilities,youth and OVCs.
• Care and support.
• Nutritional Food
• Security for PLWHAs
• Scale up integrated TB HIV/AIDS programmes.
• Sustained access to ARVs and related vital tests.
• Mitigation of social and economic impact
• Focused O.V.C. support programmes.
• Implement G.I.P.A. initiative
• M E systems that is all inclusive.
• Involvement of PLWHAs

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• Key Action Points
• Nephak to facilitate PLWHA representation in all
  committees on HIV/AIDS.
• PLWHAs should at all times be given updated
  relevant information
• On drugs and treatment modalities
• Funds sources and application procedures
• Capacity building opportunities
• Nephak coordinated monitoring and evaluation
  system at all levels to ensure accountability,
  generated reports should be delivered in the
  media.

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• Key Action Points
• Continuous review of policies to incorporate
  emerging issues/gaps.
• Inclusion of PLWHAs in the national budget.
• The GOK distribute drugs to all its District
  hospitals to enhance accessibility.
• Nephak to facilitate PLWHA representation in all
  committees on HIV/AIDS without interference.
• GOK should provide VCT(s) that are integrated
  into the health services in all its districts.