Grace Muthumbi, International Medical Corps Kenya
International Medical Corps is committed to providing lifesaving health interventions including maternal and reproductive health services, particularly for vulnerable and hard to reach populations. In Kenya, International Medical Corps has played an integral role in providing such services to two severely marginalized and vulnerable groups, Female Sex Workers (FSWs) and prisoners.
FSWs are often faced with discrimination and stigma by the general population as well as health providers at government health facilities. This results in poor health seeking behaviors further limiting access to much-needed health care services. This situation is often worse for illnesses related to sexual health, where discrimination and sometimes even name-calling by health providers’ results in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) going undetected and untreated. Given this situation, International Medical Corps established seven drop-in centers (DiCEs) in Nyanza, Western Kenya, which is an epicenter for HIV infection in the country. At the DiCEs, FSWs can access an array of services including HIV testing, counseling, care and treatment; Evidence-Informed Behavioral Interventions; condom distribution, STIs screening and treatment; cervical cancer screening; drug and substance abuse counseling; Post Exposure Prophylaxis; family planning; and structural interventions in a safe, non-traditional setting. To date, the program has enrolled 7,800 FSWs who receive HIV prevention and reproductive health services. A total of 5,890 were screened for STIs of which 2,155 were diagnosed and treated; 1,371 HIV positive FSWs received lifesaving HIV care and treatment services; and 3,347 received access to long-term modern contraception methods.
International Medical Corps has also been instrumental in rolling out HIV prevention services including Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) to FSWs as well as female inmates accessing health services within the Kenya prison services system. Within the prison system authorities often prioritize security concerns over the health of prisoners. Traditionally, the prisoners are taken to the nearest government facilities in case they require health services that are not available at facilities located within the prisons. By bringing Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) services into the prisons, International Medical Corps ensures that prisoners’ rights to much needed health services is upheld as stipulated in the Kenyan constitution. To improve MNCH and bridge the gap in accessing antenatal, post-natal and HIV prevention services, between 2008 to 2014 International Medical Corps provided 4,553 pregnant women in Kenyan prisons with quality, integrated antenatal care including PMTCT services. International Medical Corps also identified 572 HIV exposed infants using Dried Blood Spotting samples to identify HIV positive infants and provide them with treatment.
In keeping with our mission to train local communities to be their own best First Responders, International Medical Corps also facilitates training, mentorship and support supervision for Ministry of Health and Kenya prisons health service providers.