In Nairobi’s Kibera slum, Kenya’s largest informal settlement, leaders at CFK Africa, a community health organisation that has worked there for more than 25 years, said the way Kenya’s phased rollout is implemented will determine whether the drug narrows or widens existing inequalities.
Jeffrey Okoro, chief executive of CFK Africa, told SciDev.Net the national rollout was an “important advancement” but said the practical benefits of a twice-yearly injectable would only be realised if delivery models accounted for poverty, stigma and how residents access care.
CFK sites were not included in phase one of Kenya’s rollout, Okoro told SciDev.Net, and the organisation is now positioning itself as a “community access bridge”, strengthening drug referral pathways, training staff in counselling and follow-up, and pressing for the inclusion of informal settlements in subsequent phases. It is also advocating for adolescent girls and young women to be prioritised.
“Slums like Kibera are home to populations that face the highest HIV risk yet also the greatest barriers to consistent prevention,” said Okoro.
“Prioritising these communities is not only a matter of equity but also essential for achieving national impact, because prevention efforts are most effective when they reach those most vulnerable.”
Read the full article on SciDev.Net.
