KENYA’S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC

Responses are divided into three phases

Phase 1 (1984-1993)
st
• 1 HIV case in Kenya – 1984

• Government didn’t acknowledge presence of HIV and AIDS

• Government remained silent about pandemic

• There were no government supported mechanisms put in place to respond to

the pandemic.

• Government lost valuable time and missed opportunity to deal with the
HIV/AIDS before it would spread

• If it would have sounded alarm measures would have been put in place.

Phase 2 (1994 – 1998)

• Civil society started to pressurize the government to set up mechanisms to deal
with HIV and AIDS.

• NASCOP – National AIDS and STIs control programme was established and
sessional paper No. 4 of 1997 on AIDS in Kenya was developed.

• Paper provided a policy framework and a roadmap within which HIV prevention
and control efforts were to be coordinated

• The need for a policy framework was foreseen as a prerequisite to effective

leadership in efforts to combat the epidemic.

Phase 3 (1999-date)
th
• Started on the 25 Nov. 1999 when the president of Kenya declared HIV/AIDS a
National disaster.

• Was meant to facilitate the mobilization of resources on emergency measures.

• Government put in place the mechanisms to address HIV/AIDS

• National AIDS control council (NACC) was established under legal notice No. 170
of 1999.

• Was put in the office of the president

 • Functions included:

- Supervise all HIV/AIDS activities in Kenya

- Mobilize resources

- Formulate and Implement related policies

• Structure were put in place to operationalize the responses from the National level
to the grassroots

• At the grassroots constituency AIDS control committee (CACCs) were established

and mandated to coordinate HIV/AIDS activities within the constituencies.

• At the District level a technical team was put in place to offer or provide guidance
on the operations of CACCs.

• The framework of operation was articulated through:

- Kenya National AIDS Strategic plan (KNASP) 2000 – 2005

- Kenya National AIDS Strategic plan (KNASP) 2005/6 – 2009/10

- Kenya National AIDS Strategic plan (KNASP) 2009/10 – 2012/13

Kenya National AIDS Strategic plan (KNASP) 2000 – 2005

• Plan sets out a multi-sectoral response to the pandemic as jointly agreed by

stakeholders within government, civil society, private sector and development
partners

• This signified the shift from sectoral response to comprehensive multi-sectoral

approach.

• Planned activities were coordinated under Kenya HIV and AIDS disaster response
project (KHADREP)

• Each ministry within the government had to establish an AIDS control Unit (ACU)
to undertake the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS activities in all its core functions.

• In the new structure, constituency AIDS control committees were the focal points
for spear leading the fight against the pandemic at grassroots level

• CACCs were designed to emphasize community- based activities through CBOs,

FBOs and individuals

• According to the strategic plan CACCs were to operate under five components
namely
 - Prevention and advocacy

- Treatment, continuum of care and support

- Institutional arrangement, government and coordination

- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and research

- Mitigation of socio-economic impact.

Kenya National AIDS Strategic plan (KNASP) 2005/6 – 2009/10

• Drawing the plan was high participatory in which more than 100 other
stakeholders were involved

• Carried the theme “Total War on HIV/AIDS (TOWA)

• This indicated a call on action to operationalize the commitment of Kenya

Government and all stakeholders including development partners and civil
society involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS

• Goal was to reduce the spread of HIV, improve the quality of life the infected and
the affected and mitigate the social economic impact of the pandemic.

• TOWA build on the Kenya HIV/AIDS Disaster Response Project (KHADREP)

which came to an end in Dec. 2005.

• It gave hope to the continued fight against HIV/AIDS.

• Under TOWA the following vulnerable groups were targeted including:

- Sexual workers

- Migrants workers

- People living with disabilities

- Workers in small/medium enterprises

- Micro enterprises

- Informal sector

• Strategic plan estimated that approximately 65000 Kenyan adults and 25000
children became infected with HIV/AIDS related diseases annually.

• Twice the No. of those children died in 1998

 • The aim of the plan was to ‘reduce the no. of new infection among the vulnerable
groups and general population by improving in treatment and care of the
infected and affected as well as ensuring access to effective services

• Key priority areas included:

- Prevention of new infections by reducing the no. of new HIV infections in

both vulnerable groups and general public

- Improvement of the quality of life of people infected and affected by HIV

and AIDS by improving treatment and care, protection of the rights and
access to effective services for affected and infected.

- Mitigation of the socio-economic impact of HIV by adapting existing

programs and developing innovative responses to reduce it.

Kenya National AIDS Strategic plan (KNASP) 2009/10 – 2012/13

• The strategic emphasis of this plan is to effectively respond to the evidence base
and provide coordinated, comprehensive, high-quality combination prevention,
treatment and care services, mobilized and strengthened of communities for
‘AIDS competence’ and effective sectoral mainstreaming of HIV.

• It is acknowledged that in order to provide Universal Access to essential services

strategic decisions will be needed to prioritize interventions which realize maximum
efficiency gains and optimal progress towards the expected results.

• Under KNASP III, by 2013, the following four impact results will be achieved:

- Number of new infections reduced by at least 50%

- AIDS- related mortality reduced by 25%

- Reduction in HIV related morbidity and

- Reduce socio-economic impact of HIV and AIDS at household and

community level.

• At the outcome level this strategic plan aims to achieve:

i. Reduce risk behavior among the general, infected, most-at-risk and

vulnerable populations

ii. Proportion of eligible PLWHIV on care and treatment increased and

sustained

iii. Health systems deliver comprehensive HIV services

 iv. HIV mainstreamed in sector-specific policies and sector strategies

v. Communities and PLWHIV networks respond to HIV within their local

context;

vi. KNASP III stakeholders aligned and held accountable for results.

• KNASP III will achieve the above impact results and outcome through
implementation of the following four strategies:

- Provision of cost effective prevention, treatment, care and support services,

informed by an engendered rights-based approach, to realize Universal
Access.

- HIV mainstreamed in key sectors through long- term programming

addressing both the root causes and effects of the epidemic

- Targeted, community-based programmes supporting achievement of

Universal Access and social transformation for an AIDS competent society

- All stakeholder coordinated and operating within a nationally – owned

strategy and aligned results framework, grounded in mutual
accountability, gender, equality and human rights

Some of the strategies adopted by the Kenyan government to fight the spread of
HIV/AIDS
• Public educational campaigns

- The government through its state owned media has set up sensitization
programmes to try and educate the public on the dangers of the disease
and also advise them to stay healthy.

- This is done through plays; poetry and reality show programs where
HIV/AIDS individuals take the opportunity to air their views and
encourage others to take measures to avoid contracting the virus.

- The government has also increased creating awareness campaigns on AIDS

prevention using billboards, posters, public lectures, pamphlets,
performing AIDS groups.

- Sensitize people through community barazas where government officials

get the chance to give out the much needed information on the prevention
of AIDS.

• HIV/AIDS seminars and workshops

 - Aimed at strengthening prevention activities.

- People are educated and enlightened by professionals on the ways of

contracting the virus and the consequences of the disease.

• Mainstreamed HI V/AIDS lessons in formal education system

- HIV/AIDS has become a core unit that is studied in primary schools,

secondary schools, middle level colleges and universities.

- Students gain knowledge on the mode of transmission, prevention and

control.

- This has helped in the reduction of spread of HIV since most sexually active
Kenyans, the youths are taught about the dangers of casual sexual
behaviour and unprotected sexual relations.

• Destigmatization campaigns

- Done through awareness campaigns and education - programmes to reduce

stigma.

- This has encouraged free talk about AIDS and thus created awareness
amongst Kenyans.

• Provision of treatment to HI V/AIDS patients

- The government plays a role in availing treatment to HIV/AIDS patients.

- It provides free or subsidizes ARV drugs and other health services to people
suffering from HIV/AIDS.

- It has taken the initiative to help prevent mother to child transmission. HIV
positive mothers are given antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy and at
delivery this includes AZT which helps in the reduction of the viral load.

• Provision of VCT centers

- The government has established and opened VCT centers all over the
country. VCT services are offered free in most government health
facilities.

• Discouragement of detrimental socio-cultural practice

- The government in conjunction with NGO’s is trying to fight socio-cultural

practices that increase the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
 - It is at the forefront of trying to eradicate practices such as; Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM), unsafe circumcision as is practiced traditionally, wife
inheritance and early marriages.

• Gender advocacy

- The government is also advocating for gender equality and thus is teaching
women on their basic rights and has enacted a sexual abuse bill to protect
women against sexual abuse.

- It has enhanced laws against violence on women and other vulnerable

groups in the society including HIV/AIDS individuals to protect them
from victimization.

• Poverty eradication

- The government has been at the forefront in trying to eradicate poverty.

- It has started constituency development fund through which constituencies

throughout the country receive funds from the central government and
channel them to projects that help elevate the living standards of the local
people by creating income-generating activities.

- It has also allowed formation and operation of NGOs which help people at
the grass root fight poverty.