"If it benefits someone, it will be good:" perspectives on research participation from pregnant women living with HIV.

Pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) are becoming increasingly involved in HIV research; however, the ethical concerns regarding their decision-making related to research participation are understudied. This qualitative study aimed to understand the perspectives and lived research experiences of PWLHIV, intending to identify important considerations to inform best practices. This study used semi-structured interviews (SSIs) of PWLHIV who participated in research studies in Eldoret, Kenya. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated. Qualitative analyses were performed, with line-by-line coding, constant comparison, axial coding, and triangulation to identify central concepts. Twelve PWLHIV participated. Overall, participants had positive experiences with HIV research. Most participants had difficulty distinguishing the differences between the research process and enhanced clinical care. They reported a willingness to participate in future HIV research studies and indicated altruism as the primary motivator. Participants identified their preferences and experiences with recruitment, consenting, reimbursement, and enrolment of infants in HIV research. The largest barrier for participating in HIV research was identified as a concern that participation would lead to HIV disclosure. By understanding the lived experiences of PWLHIV who participate in HIV research, future researchers can design studies and consenting processes to optimize ethical research practices.

Multi-media teacher training and HIV-related stigma among primary and secondary school teachers in Western Kenya.

ABSTRACTHIV stigma is associated with delayed HIV disclosure and worse clinical outcomes for adolescents living with HIV (ALWH). Teachers critically influence school environments, but are understudied in terms of HIV stigma. We implemented a school-level, cluster-randomized trial to assess the impact of a one-day multi-media training on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (K/A/B) of school teachers in western Kenya. Teachers' K/A/B were evaluated at baseline and six months. Additionally, we assessed stigma with ALWH enrolled in the included schools to explore the impact of the training. Teachers (N = 311) and ALWH (N = 19) were enrolled from 10 primary and 10 secondary schools. The intervention and control groups did not significantly differ in overall stigma score (mean 1.83 vs. 1.84; adjusted difference, 0.18 [95% CI, -0.082 to 0.045]) at six months; however, we found a trend towards improvement in overall stigma score and a significant difference in the community discrimination sub-scale among secondary school teachers (mean 3.02 vs. 3.19; adjusted difference, -0.166 [95% CI, -0.310 to -0.022]). ALWH reported few experiences of discrimination, but emphasized keeping their HIV status secret (84%). The teacher-training reduced secondary school teacher perceptions of community-level stigma, but did not impact individual attitudes or beliefs..

Feasibility and acceptability of a peer provider delivered substance use screening and brief intervention program for youth in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Youth in sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk of substance use yet lack access to substance use interventions. The goal of this project was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a peer-delivered, single-session substance use screening and brief intervention program for youth in Kenya. METHODS: This was a convergent parallel mixed methods study utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Two trained peer providers administered the screening and brief intervention program to 100 youth aged 15-24 years. To evaluate the implementation of the intervention, we collected quantitative and qualitative data. Feasibility and acceptability were quantitatively assessed using the Dissemination and Implementation Measures. Fidelity was assessed by rating all 100 audio-recorded sessions using a checklist. To obtain qualitative feedback on the intervention, we conducted five focus group discussions with 25 youths and six semi-structured interviews with two peer providers and four clinic leaders. The semi-structured interviews were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Quantitative data was analyzed via descriptive statistics using STATA. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis with NVIVO. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of any substance use was 50%. The mean level of acceptability of the intervention from the perspective of the youth was 3.53 (SD 0.15), meaning that the youth found the intervention to be acceptable "a lot" of the time. Mean levels of implementation outcomes (acceptability, adoption, Acceptability, Appropriateness, Feasibility, Reach/access, Organizational climate, General leadership skills, and Sustainability) as rated by peer providers and clinic staff ranged between 2.61 ("a moderate amount") and 4.0 ("a lot"). In qualitative data, youth reported that the intervention was helpful and useful in enabling them to stop or reduce substance use. The peer providers felt that the intervention was easy to implement, while the clinic leaders felt that available resources were adequate, and that the intervention aligned well with the goals of the clinic. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the peer-delivered screening and brief intervention program was perceived as acceptable to the youth and feasible to implement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04998045 Registration date: 10/08/2021.

Enabling Adherence to Treatment (EAT): a pilot study of a combination intervention to improve HIV treatment outcomes among street-connected individuals in western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Street-connected individuals (SCI) in Kenya experience barriers to accessing HIV care. This pilot study provides proof-of-concept for Enabling Adherence to Treatment (EAT), a combination intervention providing modified directly observed therapy (mDOT), daily meals, and peer navigation services to SCI living with HIV or requiring therapy for other conditions (e.g. tuberculosis). The goal of the EAT intervention was to improve engagement in HIV care and viral suppression among SCI living with HIV in an urban setting in Kenya. METHODS: This pilot study used a single group, pre/post-test design, and enrolled a convenience sample of self-identified SCI of any age. Participants were able to access free hot meals, peer navigation services, and mDOT 6 days per week. We carried out descriptive statistics to characterize participants' engagement in EAT and HIV treatment outcomes. We used McNemar's chi-square test to calculate unadjusted differences in HIV outcomes pre- and post-intervention among participants enrolled in HIV care prior to EAT. We compared unadjusted time to initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and first episode of viral load (VL) suppression among participants enrolled in HIV care prior to EAT vs. concurrently with EAT using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. We calculated total, fixed, and variable costs of the intervention. RESULTS: Between July 2018 and February 2020, EAT enrolled 87 participants: 46 (53%) female and 75 (86%) living with HIV. At baseline, 60 out of 75 participants living with HIV (80%) had previously enrolled in HIV care. Out of 60, 56 (93%) had initiated ART, 44 (73%) were active in care, and 25 (42%) were virally suppressed (VL < 1000 copies/mL) at their last VL measure in the 19 months before EAT. After 19 months of follow-up, all 75 participants living with HIV had enrolled in HIV care and initiated ART, 65 (87%) were active in care, and 44 (59%) were virally suppressed at their last VL measure. Among the participants who were enrolled in HIV care before EAT, there was a significant increase in the proportion who were active in HIV care and virally suppressed at their last VL measure during EAT enrollment compared to before EAT enrollment. Participants who enrolled in HIV care concurrently with EAT had a significantly shorter time to initiation of ART and first episode of viral suppression compared to participants who enrolled in HIV care prior to EAT. The total cost of the intervention over 19 months was USD $57,448.64. Fixed costs were USD $3623.04 and variable costs were USD $63.75/month/participant. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study provided proof of concept that EAT, a combination intervention providing mDOT, food, and peer navigation services, was feasible to implement and may support engagement in HIV care and achievement of viral suppression among SCI living with HIV in an urban setting in Kenya. Future work should focus on controlled trials of EAT, assessments of feasibility in other contexts, and cost-effectiveness studies.

A Pilot Study of a Mobile Intervention to Support Mental Health and Adherence Among Adolescents Living with HIV in Western Kenya.

Mobile technologies represent potentially novel and scalable intervention delivery platforms for adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a prospective, mixed methods pilot study to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the WhatsApp® platform to deliver individual counseling services and facilitate peer support for ALWH in western Kenya. Thirty ALWH (17 female, mean age 15.4) on ART, engaged in HIV care and aware of their status, were enrolled. After 6 months, participants described their experiences with the intervention. Treatment adherence, stigma, and mental and behavioral health were assessed prospectively. Participants reported overall positive experiences and indicated that the platform encouraged peer network development. They endorsed potential benefits for treatment adherence, stigma reduction, and mental and behavioral health. All participants supported intervention expansion. In western Kenya, WhatsApp® was an acceptable and feasible platform for mobile counseling and peer support for ALWH.

"I have never talked to anyone to free my mind" - challenges surrounding status disclosure to adolescents contribute to their disengagement from HIV care: a qualitative study in western Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV, ages 10-19) experience complex barriers to care engagement. Challenges surrounding HIV status disclosure or non-disclosure to adolescents may contribute to adolescent disengagement from HIV care or non-adherence to ART. We performed a qualitative study to investigate the contribution of disclosure challenges to adolescent disengagement from HIV care. METHODS: This was a qualitative study performed with disengaged ALHIV and their caregivers, and with healthcare workers (HCW) in the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) program in western Kenya. Inclusion criteria for ALHIV were ≥1 visit within the 18 months prior to data collection at one of two clinical sites and nonattendance ≥60 days following their last scheduled appointment. HCW were recruited from 10 clinics. Analysis was conducted by multiple independent coders, and narratives of disclosure and care disengagement were closely interrogated. Overarching themes were elucidated and summarized. RESULTS: Interviews were conducted with 42 disengaged ALHIV, 32 caregivers, and 28 HCW. ALHIV were average age 17.0 (range 12.9-20.9), and 95% indicated awareness of their HIV diagnosis. Issues surrounding disclosure to ALHIV presented important barriers to HIV care engagement. Themes centered on delays in HIV status disclosure; hesitancy and reluctance among caregivers to disclose; struggles for adolescents to cope with feelings of having been deceived prior to full disclosure; pervasive HIV stigma internalized in school and community settings prior to disclosure; and inadequate and unstructured support after disclosure, including for adolescent mental health burdens and for adolescent-caregiver relationships and communication. Both HCW and caregivers described feeling inadequately prepared to optimally handle disclosure and to manage challenges that may arise after disclosure. CONCLUSIONS: Complex challenges surrounding HIV status disclosure to adolescents contribute to care disengagement. There is need to enhance training and resources for HCW, and to empower caregivers to support children and adolescents before, during, and after HIV status disclosure. This should include counseling caregivers on how to provide children with developmentally-appropriate and accurate information about their health from an early age, and to support adolescent-caregiver communication and relationships. Optimally integrating peer support can further promote ALHIV wellbeing and retention in care.

Barriers to and facilitators of accessing HIV services for street-involved youth in Canada and Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: UNICEF estimates that there are as many as 100 million street-involved youth (SIY) globally. Marginalized conditions put SIY at higher risk of HIV and adverse outcomes once HIV-positive. The objective of this analysis was to describe barriers and facilitators of accessing HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services as Phase I of an implementation study evaluating the use of peer navigators to increase access to HIV services. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), and theatre testing were conducted with individuals who identify as SIY, health care providers, and community stakeholders living in Canada (Toronto, Montreal, London) and Kenya (Eldoret, Huruma, Kitale). Data were analyzed using a directed content approach, guided by the socio-ecological model (SEM). RESULTS: Across the six sites were 195 participants: 64 SIY, 42 healthcare providers, and 97 community-based stakeholders. Barriers were identified at the societal (e.g. intersectional stigma and discrimination), public policy (e.g., inadequate access to basic needs, legal documentation, lack of health insurance, and limited community-based funding), institutional (e.g. lack of inclusive education and training, inadequate HIV educational outreach, and restrictive service provision), interpersonal (e.g., ineffective communication from healthcare providers), and intrapersonal levels (e.g. lack of trust and associated fear, low perception for healthcare, and lack of self-esteem). These contributed to limited HIV services utilization among SIY. Conversely, numerous facilitators were also identified at the public policy (e.g. affordable HIV services and treatment), institutional (e.g. available and accessible HIV prevention tools, HIV education and awareness programs, and holistic models of care), interpersonal level (e.g., systems navigation support, peer support, and personal relationships), and intrapersonal levels (e.g. self-efficacy) as positively supporting SIY access to HIV services. CONCLUSION: Intersectional stigma was a critical barrier in all sites, and policies and programs that foster welcoming environments for youth from diverse backgrounds and living circumstances may be better able to respond to the HIV service needs of this high risk population. Social support and navigation services were reported to facilitate access to HIV services in all sites.

Perspectives of education sector stakeholders on a teacher training module to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma in Western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: For adolescents living with HIV (ALWH), school may be the most important but understudied social sphere related to HIV stigma. Teachers are role models in the classroom and within the community, and their attitudes and behavior towards people living with HIV may have critical psychosocial and treatment ramifications. Altering teachers' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (K/A/B) about HIV could reduce the stigmatizing content within their teaching, classrooms and school, improving the environment for ALWH. METHODS: We developed a one-day teacher training module to enrich teacher K/A/B that included lecture presentations, HIV films and educational animation, structured instructions for teacher role play scenarios, and a question-and-answer session facilitated by a trained ALWH peer educator. We also conducted key informant interviews with education sector subject matter experts (SMEs), including education officers, county commissioners and head teachers to review and provide feedback on the teacher training module. RESULTS: We assembled an adolescent community advisory board and recruited 50 SMEs to review the training module and provide feedback. All SME participants stressed the importance and need for interventions to reduce stigma in the classroom, highlighting their own experiences observing stigmatizing behaviors in the community. The participants perceived the training as culturally relevant and easy to understand and had minor suggestions for improvement, including using image-based resources and brighter colors for ease of reading. All participants thought that the training should be expanded outside of the schools, as all people in a community have a role in the reduction of HIV stigma, and offered suggestions for other settings for implementation. CONCLUSION: Data from interviews with education sector stakeholders demonstrate that our process for developing a culturally appropriate multi-media intervention to reduce HIV stigma in the schools was feasible.

Barriers to ART adherence among school students living with HIV in Kenya.

HIV has transformed from a serious acute illness with high rates of morbidity and mortality to a fairly easily managed chronic disease. However, children and adolescents living with HIV are yet to achieve similar improvement in their HIV care outcomes compared to adults. There have been a number of studies assessing the reasons for slower improvement in these age categories, mainly focusing on health systems, drug- and family- related barriers to ART adherence in children. We sought to explore school-related barriers to adherence through in-depth interviews with students living with HIV (SLHIV) aged 13-17 years who had fully disclosed their HIV status in western Kenya. Data was analysed using NVivo 8™. The study found that stigmatisation in the form of negative discussions and alienation, fear of unintended disclosure (due to the drug packaging and lack of privacy while taking their pills) were barriers to ART adherence among these SLHIV. Other barriers included challenges with drug storage while in school and the complexity of coordinating school and clinic-related activities and a lack of structured support systems in schools. In addition to hindering their adherence to ART, these barriers resulted in negative emotions (anger, sadness, frustration) and affected school performance. This study found fairly serious barriers to ART adherence among SLHIV, which calls for structured communication and coordinated support between government ministries of health and education in Kenya.

"A problem shared is half solved" - a qualitative assessment of barriers and facilitators to adolescent retention in HIV care in western Kenya.

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV, ages 10-19) are retained in care at low rates, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. We investigated barriers and facilitators to retention experienced by perinatally infected ALHIV in western Kenya. This qualitative study purposefully sampled hospitalized ALHIV (engaged and not currently engaged in care), ALHIV engaged in outpatient care, and caregivers of ALHIV. In total, 116 ALHIV and caregivers participated in interviews or focus group discussions. Challenges related to the effects of both stigma and poverty at multiple socio-ecological levels pose the greatest barriers to adolescent retention in HIV care. Adolescents with positive relationships with family, clinic, and/or peers with the resources to support their care are facilitated to overcome these barriers. Conversely, adolescents with few of these supports due to orphanhood, caregiver illness, severe poverty, family conflicts, negative relationships with healthcare workers, or isolation, have the greatest challenges staying in care, and maybe at risk of disengagement. Experiences of trauma emerged from narratives of disengagement, and contribute to isolation, mental health challenges, and difficulties engaging in care. Retention of the most vulnerable adolescents will require interventions to mitigate the impacts of stigma, poverty, mental health issues, and limited social support on HIV care engagement.

Decreasing incidence of pregnancy among HIV-positive adolescents in a large HIV treatment program in western Kenya between 2005 and 2017: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for pregnancy among HIV-positive adolescents in a large HIV treatment program in western Kenya. METHODS: The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) program is a partnership between Moi University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and a consortium of 11 North American academic institutions. AMPATH currently provides care to 85,000 HIV-positive individuals in western Kenya. Included in this analysis were adolescents aged 10-19 enrolled in AMPATH between January 2005 and February 2017. Socio-demographic, behavioural, and clinical data at baseline and time-updated antiretroviral treatment (ART) data were extracted from the electronic medical records and summarized using descriptive statistics. Follow up time was defined as time of inclusion in the cohort until the date of first pregnancy or age 20, loss to follow up, death, or administrative censoring. Adolescent pregnancy rates and associated risk factors were determined. RESULTS: There were 8565 adolescents eligible for analysis. Median age at enrolment in HIV care was 14.0 years. Only 17.7% had electricity at home and 14.4% had piped water, both indicators of a high level of poverty. 12.9% (1104) were pregnant at study inclusion. Of those not pregnant at enrolment, 5.6% (448) became pregnant at least once during follow-up. Another 1.0% (78) were pregnant at inclusion and became pregnant again during follow-up. The overall pregnancy incidence rate was 21.9 per 1000 woman years or 55.8 pregnancies per 1000 women. Between 2005 and 2017, pregnancy rates have decreased. Adolescents who became pregnant in follow-up were more likely to be older, to be married or living with a partner and to have at least one child already and less likely to be using family planning. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of these HIV-positive adolescents presented at enrolment into HIV care as pregnant and many became pregnant as adolescents during follow-up. Pregnancy rates remain high but have decreased from 2005 to 2017. Adolescent-focused sexual and reproductive health and ante/postnatal care programs may have the potential to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes as well as further decrease pregnancy rates in this high-risk group.

HIV prevalence in young people and children living on the streets, Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain an estimate of the size of, and human immunodeficiency (HIV) prevalence among, young people and children living on the streets of Eldoret, Kenya. METHODS: We counted young people and children using a point-in-time approach, ensuring we reached our target population by engaging relevant community leaders during the planning of the study. We acquired point-in-time count data over a period of 1 week between the hours of 08:00 and 23:00, from both a stationary site and by mobile teams. Participants provided demographic data and a fingerprint (to avoid double-counting) and were encouraged to speak with an HIV counsellor and undergo HIV testing. We used a logistic regression model to test for an association between age or sex and uptake of HIV testing and seropositivity. FINDINGS: Of the 1419 eligible participants counted, 1049 (73.9%) were male with a median age of 18 years. Of the 1029 who spoke with a counsellor, 1004 individuals accepted HIV counselling and 947 agreed to undergo an HIV test. Combining those who were already aware of their HIV-positive status with those who were tested during our study resulted in an overall HIV seroprevalence of 4.1%. The seroprevalence was 2.7% (19/698) for males and 8.9% (23/259) for females. We observed an increase in seroprevalence with increasing age for both sexes, but of much greater magnitude for females. CONCLUSION: By counting young people and children living on the streets and offering them HIV counselling and testing, we could obtain population-based estimates of HIV prevalence.

A Pilot Study of "Peer Navigators" to Promote Uptake of HIV Testing, Care and Treatment Among Street-Connected Children and Youth in Eldoret, Kenya.

Research suggests a burden of HIV among street-connected youth (SCY) in Kenya. We piloted the use of peer navigators (PNs), individuals of mixed HIV serostatus and with direct experience of being street-connected, to link SCY to HIV testing and care. From January 2015 to October 2017, PNs engaged 781 SCY (585 male, 196 female), median age 16 (IQR 13-20). At initial encounter, 52 (6.6%) were known HIV-positive and 647 (88.8%) agreed to HIV testing. Overall, 63/781 (8.1%) SCY engaged in this program were HIV-positive; 4.6% males and 18.4% females (p < 0.001). Of those HIV-positive, 48 (82.8%) initiated ART. As of October 2017, 35 (60.3%) of the HIV-positive SCY were alive and in care. The pilot suggests that PNs were successful in promoting HIV testing, linkage to care and ART initiation. More research is needed to evaluate how to improve ART adherence, viral suppression and retention in care in this population.

Tablet-based disclosure counselling for HIV-infected children, adolescents, and their caregivers: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Overwhelmed, under-trained medical staff working in resource-limited settings need efficient resources for HIV disclosure counselling. The objective of this study was to describe providers' experiences using tablet computers for disclosure-related counselling with HIV-infected children and their caregivers in western Kenya, with additional perspectives from adolescents. METHODS: A qualitative study design was implemented at three HIV clinics in western Kenya (Bumala, Busia and Port Victoria) within the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) partnership. Twenty-one healthcare providers involved with paediatric disclosure were recruited and enrolled in the study. Initial interviews focused on understanding current disclosure practices and barriers. Tablets containing disclosure-related resources were distributed. Resources included short narrative videos created in this context to highlight issues relevant to child HIV disclosure. RESULTS: Providers reported tablets improved disclosure, child participation, and medication adherence. All reported that reviewing materials increased their knowledge and comfort with disclosure. The most frequently used materials were the narrative videos and an animated video explaining the importance of medication adherence. Time was a major barrier for using the tablet. Clinician self-education persisted at one-year follow-up. Adolescents expressed enjoyment from viewing the tablet resources and had a better understanding of the importance of medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Tablet computers containing resources for disclosure are an acceptable and potentially effective resource to help providers support families with disclosure. Further work is needed to train the clinical providers in using the resources in a developmentally appropriate manner, and to develop new resources on adolescent-specific and HIV-related topics.

Predictors of Mortality Among Children and Adolescents Living With HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy in Western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has decreased HIV-attributable deaths; however, children and adolescents continue to have high HIV-associated mortality. SETTING: We determined the predictors of death among children and young adolescents living with HIV (CALWH) who died while in care in Western Kenya. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study used electronically abstracted data of 6234 CALWH who received care in Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare HIV clinics in Western Kenya between January 2002 and November 2022. The cases comprised CALWH who were reported dead by November 2022, while the controls constituted of matched CALWH who were alive and in care. Independent predictors of mortality were determined using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models. Kaplan-Meier analysis ascertained survival. RESULTS: Of the 6234 participants enrolled, slightly more than half were male (51.7%). The mean (SD) age at the start of ART was significantly lower in cases than in controls at 6.01 (4.37) and 6.62 (4.11) ( P < 0.001), respectively. An age of 11 years or older at start of ART (adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR]: 8.36 [3.60-19.40]), both parents being alive (aHR: 3.06 [1.67-5.60]), underweight (aHR: 1.82 [1.14-2.92]), and World Health Organization stages 3 (aHR: 2.63 [1.12-6.18]) and 4 (aHR: 2.20 [0.94-5.18]) increased mortality; while school attendance (aHR: 0.12 [0.06-0.21]), high CD4 + counts >350 cells/mm 3 (aHR: 0.79 [0.48-1.29]), and low first viral load <1000 copies/mL (aHR: 0.24 [0.14-0.40]) were protective. CONCLUSION: Independent predictors of mortality were age 11 years or older at the start of ART, orphan status, underweight, and advanced HIV disease. Beyond the provision of universal ART, care accorded to CALWH necessitates optimization through tackling individual predictors of mortality.

Growth Anthropometrics as a Metric of Malnutrition Disparities Among Young Children Affected by HIV who are Orphaned Maternally, Paternally, or Totally in Western Kenya: A Retrospective Chart Review.

This retrospective study investigated growth outcomes of Kenyan children born to women living with HIV, comparing children who were orphaned maternally, paternally, and totally (both parents deceased) to those who were non-orphaned. We reviewed HIV clinic visits performed in Kenya from January 2011 to August 2016 in children 0 to 4 years of age. Malnutrition was assessed using stunting, underweight status, and wasting (z-scores of ≤-2). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, t-tests, multivariable logistic regression, and ANCOVA models were performed. Of 15 027 total children in the study population, 3.5% (n = 520) were orphaned maternally, 8.1% (n = 1222) were orphaned paternally, and 2.2% (n = 336) were orphaned totally. Children who were orphans had higher rates of malnutrition compared to non-orphans (P < .001). Children who were orphaned maternally and totally had lower anthropometric mean scores, presented to clinic later, and were more likely to be living with HIV. Children who are orphaned maternally or totally should be targeted in interventional strategies.

"If they had a place to live, they would be taking medication": a qualitative study identifying strategies for engaging street-connected young people in the HIV prevention-care continuum in Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: Street-connected young people (SCY) experience structural and social barriers to engaging in the HIV prevention-care continuum. We sought to elicit recommendations for interventions that may improve SCY's engagement along the HIV prevention-care continuum from healthcare providers, policymakers, community members and SCY in Kenya. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted in Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Nakuru and Kitale counties in Kenya between May 2017 and September 2018 to explore and describe the public perceptions of, and proposed and existing responses to, the phenomenon of SCY. This secondary analysis focuses on a subset of data interviews that investigated SCY's healthcare needs in relation to HIV prevention and care. We conducted 41 in-depth interviews and seven focus group discussions with 100 participants, of which 43 were SCY. In total, 48 participants were women and 52 men. RESULTS: Our analysis resulted in four major themes corresponding to stages in the HIV prevention-care continuum for key populations. We identified the need for an array of strategies to engage SCY in HIV prevention and testing services that are patient-centred and responsive to the diversity of their circumstances. The use of pre-exposure prophylaxis was a biomedical prevention strategy that SCY and healthcare providers alike stressed the need to raise awareness around and access to for SCY. Several healthcare providers suggested peer-based approaches for engaging SCY throughout the continuum. However, SCY heavily debated the appropriateness of using peer-based methods. Structural interventions, such as the provision of food and housing, were suggested as strategies to improve antiretroviral therapy adherence. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified contextually relevant interventions that should be adapted and piloted for use with SCY. Education and sensitization of SCY and healthcare providers alike were identified as possible strategies, along with affordable housing and anti-poverty strategies as cash transfers and provision of food. Peer-based interventions are a clear option but require SCY-specific adaptation to be implemented effectively.

Adapting a substance use screening and brief intervention for peer-delivery and for youth in Kenya.

Background: Substance use is a major problem among youth in sub-Saharan Africa, yet interventions that address this problem are scarce within the region. Screening and brief intervention is a cost-effective, efficacious, and easy to scale public health approach to addressing substance use problems. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a peer delivered screening and brief intervention program for youth in Kenya. The goal of this paper is to report on the process of adapting the Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test for Youth- linked Brief Intervention (ASSIST-Y-linked BI) program for peer delivery and for the Kenyan context prior to the pilot. Methods: The adaptation process was led by a multi-disciplinary team comprised of psychiatrists, pediatricians, and psychologists. We utilized the ADAPT-ITT framework to adapt the ASSIST-Y-linked BI. The ADAPT-ITT framework consists of 8 phases including Assessment, Decision making, Adaptation, Production, Topical Experts, Integration, Training, and Testing the evidence-based intervention. Here, we report on phases 1-7 of the framework. The results of the pilot testing have been published elsewhere. Results: Overall, we made surface level adaptations to the ASSIST-Y-linked BI program such as simplifying the language to enhance understandability. We maintained the core components of the program i.e., Feedback, Responsibility, Advice, Menu of Options, Empathy, Self-efficacy (FRAMES). Conclusions: Our paper provides information which other stakeholders planning to implement the ASSIST-Y-linked BI for youth in sub-Saharan Africa, could use to adapt the intervention.

A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Stigma and its Sources Among Adolescents Living With HIV in Western Kenya.

Introduction. Adolescents (10-19 years) living with HIV (ALWH) face unique challenges in controlling HIV long-term, including stigma and perception of stigma within their communities. Methods. We conducted a qualitative investigation of the sources of perceived HIV-related stigma with ALWH in western Kenya. Forty-six ALWH on ART, aware of their status, and engaged in care were enrolled. Interviews explored perceived stigma by probing the individuals and experiences that adolescents identify as causing or perpetuating their ongoing fears. Results. Participants (54% male, mean age 17.4) reported ongoing fears of stigmatization related to friends and peers not living with HIV. They described previous enacted and first-hand observations of stigma, most often occurring in pre-adolescence, by age mates or peers at school as the most common cause for their ongoing fears. Conclusions. Perceived stigma is prevalent among ALWH and develops from experiences in pre-adolescence. Anti-HIV stigma interventions addressing educators and children in school settings to combat perceived stigma at its source should be investigated.