| dc.description.abstract | University of Nairobi, Centre of HIV Prevention and Research, MARPs project commenced on 30th September, 2010. The main purpose of the MARPS project is to increase Access to Quality Preventive Comprehensive services for Most-At-Risk-Populations (MARPs) in Eastern and Central Provinces Kenya under the grant CDC-PEPFAR 1U2GPS002839-01.
In the second year of the project, community mobilization and outreach activities continued and a total of 18716 MARPs were reached with sexual and other behavior risk prevention packages in the community. Of these 16765 (89.6%) from different MARPs categories were tested and 1915 found to be HIV positive. Those found to be HIV positive were enrolled in the Drop in Centers or referred to nearest comprehensive services.
Four Drop in Centers (DICES) Makindu, Meru Thika and Nyeri were fully operational this year and were able to offer a range of biomedical services. A cumulative total of 6966 Female sex workers (FSW), 770 Male sex workers (MSW), 567 Men who have sex with men (MSM), and 567 truckers were attended to in the DICEs. Screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STI) was being done and a total of 1180 MARPs were treated for STI. HIV care and treatment was also available in the DICEs. 230 of the MARPs were enrolled into HIV care in the DICEs.
Clinical and Community Prevention with Positive (PwP) activities continued in this year with formation of PLWHA support groups at each site, family testing, STI screening and management, referral to comprehensive care clinics for HIV care and treatment and family planning education and provision. 124 MARPs have been reached with the minimum clinical PwP package. A total of 44 support groups of PLWHA were formed in both Central and Eastern provinces and 14 of them have received all the 13 PwP messages.
In and out of school youth were reached with Healthy Choices I (HC I) and (HC II) whose goal is to prevent pregnancy, STIs and HIV among the adolescents by empowering them to adopt and change their behavior in ways that will reduce their risk. A total of 5657 in school youth were reached with HC I and 6330 out of school youth with HC II.
Peer led outreach programs were established with the peer leaders/educators trained in the year one. There was a total of 72 peer led groups in both Eastern and Central provinces. They were assisted to get registered, do merry go rounds and start table banking. 18 of the groups obtained
registration from the Ministry of Gender and Social Services. Some of these started income generating activities like farming, chicken rearing, bead weaving among others. In addition some were linked with credit facility institution (Banks) to be trained and access credit.
A major challenge has been high levels of stigma and discrimination among the MARPs especially MSM and this hindered their access to the services being offered. There was a shortage of testing kits and condoms in the field but this was sorted out by the Government. | en_US |
