Retention of pediatric patients in care: a study of the Kibera Community Health Center HIV/AIDS Program.

Background: In 2011, 3.4 million children were living with HIV worldwide1.

Objectives: Describe the characteristics of pediatric patients enrolled into the HIV program at the Kibera community health center between January 2012 and March 2013.

A scorecard for assessing functionality of community health unit in Kenya.

Introduction: In 2005, Kenya's Ministry of Health (MOH) in its quest to improve health outcomes developed the Community Health Strategy (CHS) as a key approach. The MOH and partners grappled with the challenge of managing the functionality of the Community Health Units (CHUs). Amref Health Africa in Kenya developed a replicable CHUs Functionality Scorecard for measuring and managing the functionality of CHUs.

Food banking for improved nutrition of HIV infected orphans and vulnerable children; emerging evidence from quality improvement teams in high food insecure regions of Kiambu, Kenya.

Introduction: Estimated 236,548 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) were in Central-Eastern Kenya in 2013. Kiambu County had 46,656 PLHIV with 42,400 (91%) adults and 4,200(9%) children (1-14yrs). Amref Health Africa in Kenya, supported through USAID-APHIAplus KAMILI project, initiated two food banks to respond to poor nutritional status of the HIV infected children.

Uptake and linkage into care over one year of providing HIV testing and counselling through community and health facility testing modalities in urban informal settlement of Kibera, Nairobi Kenya.

Background: We examine the uptake of HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC) and linkage into care over one year of providing HTC through community and health facility testing modalities among people living in Kibera informal urban settlement in Nairobi Kenya.

Methods: We analyzed program data on health facility-based HIV testing and counselling and community- based testing and counselling approaches for the period starting October 2013 to September 2014. Univariate and bivariate analysis methods were used to compare the two approaches with regard to uptake of HTC and subsequent linkage to care.

Effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the survival of HIV-infected adult patients in urban slums of Kenya.

Recent improvements in access to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) have radically reduced hospitalizations and deaths associated with HIV infection in both developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa. Not much is known about survival of patients on ART in slums. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with mortality among adult patients on ART in resource poor, urban, sub-Saharan African setting.

Effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics of community health workers on performance of home visits during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in Busia District, Kenya.

Objective: Appropriate performance of home visits facilitates adoption of best practices at home and increased demand for facility based services.

Methods: It was a cross-sectional study in which community health workers were observed conducting home visits during pregnancy.  Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and the Consultant Quality Index (CQI-2 tool) on record keeping, use of job aids, counselling, client satisfaction and client enablement.

Effectiveness of Kenya's Community Health Strategy in delivering community-based maternal and newborn health care in Busia County, Kenya: non-randomized pre-test post test study.

Background: Maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rate trends in Kenya have remained unacceptably high in a decade. In 2007, the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation adopted a community health strategy to reverse the poor health outcomes in order to meet Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. It aims at strengthening community participation and its ability to take action towards health.