1. HIV/AIDS PREVENTION, CARE AND
SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS AT
WORKPLACES: THE MOMBASA
EXPERIENCE.
Nderitu J1
, Kingola N1
, Nyasani N1
, Muindi M1
, Odindo R2
,
Luchters S1
2nd Peer Education Conference
14th – 16th June 2006
KICC
1: International Centre for Reproductive Health, IMPACT Project.
2: Family Health International

2. Introduction
• 7% of adults age 15 – 49yrs in Kenya are infected with HIV.
• In Coast province, 6.6% of the adult population is HIV
infected.
• Majority of the people living with HIV/AIDS are in the prime
of their working lives.
• HIV/AIDS threatens the livelihoods of many workers and
those who depend on them - families, communities and
enterprises. In doing so, it also weakens the national
economy.

3. Introduction (cont’d)
• ICRH is an implementing partner in the IMPACT
project, funded by USAID through FHI.
• ICRH-IMPACT activities include VCT,FSW, Youth
and Workplace HIV prevention, Care and Support
Program.
• The workplace prevention, care and support
program has been running from 2000 to 2006.
• 17 companies in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale districts
are at different stages of program development.

4. Program objectives
• Providing technical expertise to companies in Coast
province for five years in designing and implementing
comprehensive workplace HIV prevention, care and
support programs.
• To reduce the incidence of HIV and STIs among
workers and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.
• Assist workplaces to establish linkages to other
services such as counseling and testing, treatment and
care.

5. Activities undertaken
• Sensitization of senior Management in the 17
companies.
• Identification of a focal person to run the program in
each company.
• Assistance in formation of a workplace HIV/AIDS
Committee to assist the focal person to coordinate
the program.
• Assistance in drafting a workplace policy on HIV
and AIDS.

6. Activities undertaken (cont’d)
• Training of 765 peer educators in the 17 companies
targeting a workforce of 30,000.
• Regular peer education sessions and referrals to
appropriate health services.
• 9 mobile VCT outreaches were conducted in 7
companies.
• Formation of 2 post-test support clubs.
• Condom supply, distribution and installation of
condom dispensers in the workplaces.

7. Activities undertaken (cont’d)
• A quarterly networking meeting for the company
HIV coordinators.
• Exchange visits between different companies to
learn from each other and share experiences.

8. Peer education activities
Group
Session
Held
Peer
contacts
In
Group
sessions
Peer
contacts
In
One on
one
Sessions
Condoms
Distributed
Referrals
VCT STI OIs HBC PMCT CCC
Aug-
Dec
2003 280 13,608 726 15,352 253 115
Jan-Dec
2004 1425 25,482 5,836 132,825 2,426 1,189
Jan-Dec
2005 1183 23,351 7,072 72,559 3,885 1,736 219 88 230 175
Jan-
April
2006 305 6,214 1,595 16,492 1,245 408 166 129 256 224
Total 3193 68,655 15,229 237,228 7,809 3,448 385 217 486 399

9. Outcome
• All 17 companies have established a peer-led HIV
prevention, care and support program.
• 8 companies have institutionalized the HIV prevention
programs.
• 13 companies have dedicated a budget for the HIV/AIDS
program.
• 8 companies are providing ART to members of staff.
• 11 companies have workplace HIV policies in place or
awaiting approval by the management.
• 1 support group for PLWH was formed in one of the
companies.
• Increased demand for VCT services.

10. Lessons Learnt
• A variety of workplace practices in prevention,
care and support that were effective include;
– Peer-led HIV/AIDS education sessions.
– Prevention activities including the distribution of male and female
condoms.
– Provision of VCT services.
– Opportunistic infections management.
– Provision of ARV drug treatment for staff and dependants.
– Psychosocial support for PLWH through peer counseling and
support groups.
– Reasonable accommodation for PLWHA and access to social
benefits and protection from discrimination.

11. Lessons Learnt (cont’d)
• Resource-constrained companies can
implement a comprehensive HIV/AIDS program
by forming linkages and referral systems with
other stakeholders e.g. MOH
• Management ownership and involvement of
employees at all stages of the program are
important for the program to succeed
• Emphasis on confidentiality during training for
managers and peer educators is important in
reduction of stigma and discrimination in the
workplace.
• Regular networking forums among workplaces
help to strengthen individual workplace
HIV/AIDS programs through experience sharing.

12. Lessons Learnt (cont’d)
• For the workplace program to succeed, it should
have the following components:
HIV/AIDS POLICY
Addressing procedures related to
HIV in the workplace
PREVENTION
BCC for HIV
prevention and
reduction of stigma &
discrimination
CARE & SUPPORT
Access to appropriate
health care & social
services

13. Conclusions
• Workplaces provide an additional delivery point for
the continuum of holistic services that meets the
needs of those infected with or affected by HIV and
AIDS.
• Workplaces present an important opportunity to
mitigate the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS for
the mutual benefit of the workers and the
companies.

14. Conclusions
• Workplace HIV prevention programs have been successful
because workplaces are well defined communities and
Interpersonal communication is easy to conduct since the
target population is homogeneous.
• With appropriate technical support, linkages with
community services and other stakeholders, all companies
can establish a cost-effective and sustainable HIV
prevention, care and support program.

15. Acknowledgements
• All 17 companies in the program
• All the Peer Educators
• Family Health International
• USAID
• NOPE
• Ministry of Health (MOH)

16. We can work. We pose no risk to
our co-workers. If you take away
our jobs, you kill us faster than
the HIV virus.
PLWH on ILO advocacy video