Use of referral forms and directory in linking FP clients to treatment and care services: Lessons from Kenya

International Conference on HIV/AIDS, STDs, & STIs

October 24-25, 2013 Holiday Inn Orlando International Airport, Orlando, FL, USA

Wilson N. Liambila

Accepted Abstracts: J AIDS Clin Res

Abstract :

A major limitation of various RH/FP/HIV integrated projects has been the absence of a mechanism for linking RH/FP clients who test HIV positive to treatment and care facilities. Hence, the key question for the study was: ?What is the most effective mechanism for linking FP clients found to be HIV positive to treatment and services?? The project design involved a pre- and post-intervention data collection without a comparison group. The project was implemented for a period of six months between November 2009 and May 2010 in six sites in the Central region of Kenya. Data collection involved facility assessment, provider interviews, and record reviews. There were no significant differences between the socio-economic and demographic profiles of the clients whose records were reviewed. About 61% of the CCC records had CD4 values of over 350 while 39% of the records were below 350. Overall, many of the facilities were found to be prepared on the basis of availability of Staff, registers and cards, FP commodities, STI drugs, HIV test kits and reagents and infrastructure. The proportion of providers who used a directory for referral rose from 8% at baseline to 58% at endline (p<0.01) while the proportion of providers who discussed referral of HIV positive FP clients improved from 71% at baseline to 96% at the endline (p<0.05). Most of the HIV-positive FP clients received at CCCs (93%) were from within the MCH/FP unit of the same facility indicating that the referral system was effective

Biography :

Wilson N. Liambila, is a graduate of the University of London (LSHTM and LSE) with a M.Sc. degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing 1995. He is a health planner with a wealth of experience in the health sector. Wilson has more than 25 years of experience in health policy design and management, as well as hands on experience in maternal and newborn health care delivery systems in resource poor settings. He is a Ph.D. candidate (in Public Health) at the University of Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya. He has published more than 15 papers in peer reviewed journ