Antiretrovirals prolong life in Homa Bay
International staff: 39
National staff: 224
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The AIDS epidemic continues its disastrous assault in
Kenya. About 2.3 million Kenyans live with the disease,
and an estimated 500 people die daily from AIDS-related
infections. In addition to providing medical care – and
now antiretroviral (ARV) treatment – for people with
AIDS, MSF is pushing for accessible treatment options for
AIDS and other diseases. Although some positive steps
have been taken, the crisis is far from receiving adequate
government response.
In late 2001, MSF began ARV treatment at the hospital
in Homa Bay in Nyanza province, where about 35% of the
adult population is infected with HIV. Around 240 will be
under treatment by fall 2002. This project shows the effectiveness
of ARV treatment in rural and resource-poor settings,
and is one of several MSF ARV programs around
the world. MSF also trains medical staff and
works to improve treatment of opportunistic infections in
AIDS patients. One of the most common such infections
is tuberculosis (TB), and in the Homa Bay hospital and 27
local health centers MSF works with Kenya's national TB
program to treat 1,500 patients and improve TB diagnosis
and follow-up.
In Busia, in Western province, MSF carries out HIV/AIDS
testing, treatment and home-based care, as well as TB
treatment. MSF has also embarked on an extensive grassroots
effort, eliciting the support of parents, village elders,
religious leaders and others to encourage prevention of
HIV/AIDS through the formation of school-based anti-
AIDS clubs.
AIDS prevention, testing, care and training are also the
focus at Mbagathi hospital in the capital Nairobi and in the
city's slums of Kibera, Dandora and Mathare. In these areas, health workers provide both primary health care and AIDS-related care to thousands of people each month.
MSF has been assisting refugees in Kenya for many years.
In May 2002, when several thousand Somalis fled fighting
in southern Somalia for refuge near Mandera, MSF
reopened one of its area feeding centers. With the Somalis
confined to a dangerous area near the border, MSF asked
the authorities to move them to safer areas.
In eastern Kenya, near Dadaab, MSF provides medical care
and nutritional support to Somali refugees in three camps.
Around 300 patients are also treated for TB. In March
2002, MSF began to train local staff and treat and diagnose
the deadly parasitic disease kala azar (visceral leishmaniasis),
which has recently surfaced in the area.
MSF has been working in Kenya since 1987.
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