A Situation Assessment of Community Health Workers' Preparedness in Supporting Health System Response to COVID-19 in Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused socio-economic disruptions across the globe. The pandemic disrupted the health system (HS) calling for reengineering in response to high infection rates, deaths, and resultant containment measures. To deal with COVID-19 and promote resilience, community health workers (CHWs) were engaged across countries. OBJECTIVE: Assess the preparedness of CHWs in supporting health system response in prevention and management of COVID-19 in Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda. METHODS: A mixed methods design study involving national and subnational jurisdictions in the 3 countries. Key informant interviews were conducted with policy actors (16) and health care workers (24) while in-depth interviews involved CHWs (14) and community members (312) subjected to survey interviews. RESULTS: Most (>50%) households survived on

Sexual risk-reduction strategies among HIV-infected men receiving ART in Kibera, Nairobi.

This paper explores motivational factors and barriers to sexual behaviour change among men receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART). Twenty in-depth interviews were undertaken with male patients enrolled at the African Medical and Research Foundation clinic in Africa's largest urban informal settlement, Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. All participants experienced prolonged and severe illness prior to the initiation of ART. Fear of symptom relapse was the main trigger for sexual behaviour change. Partner reduction was reported as a first option for behaviour change since this decision could be made by the individual. Condom use was perceived as more difficult as it had to be negotiated with female partners. Cultural norms regarding expectations for reproduction and marriage were not supportive of sexual risk-reduction strategies. Thus, local sociocultural contexts of HIV-infected people must be incorporated into the contextual adaptation and design of ART programmes and services as they have an over-riding influence on sexual behaviour and programme effectiveness. Also, HIV-prevention interventions need to address both personal, micro- and macro-level factors of behaviour to encourage individuals to take on sexual risk-reduction strategies. In order to achieve the anticipated preventive effect of ART, these issues are important for the donor community and policy-makers, who are the major providers of ART programme support within weak health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reasoning and deciding PMTCT-adherence during pregnancy among women living with HIV in Kenya.

This study explores type identities among rural and urban slum women on antiretroviral therapies who become pregnant. Narrative structuring was chosen to develop type narratives that illustrate how rural and urban women handle their HIV-infection and how they reason and decide about PMTCT-adherence during pregnancy and childbirth. Women in rural areas described their lives as 'secure and family controlled'. This gave the women security and predictability in life, but also meant that it was difficult to keep secrets about HIV infection. For women in the urban slum area the narratives were a tale of the uncertain and hard to predict reality in the slum, but also about self-reliance and decisiveness. They portrayed themselves as 'vulnerable and striving to survive' thus managing a tough situation without long-term solutions. We conclude that pregnancy poses different social challenges in rural and urban areas affecting how women choose to manage their adherence to PMTCT, which is also affected by HIV stigma and lack of disclosure.

"I will not let my HIV status stand in the way." Decisions on motherhood among women on ART in a slum in Kenya- a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The African Medical Research Foundation antiretroviral therapy program at the community health centre in Kibera counsels women to wait with pregnancy until they reach the acceptable level of 350 cells/ml CD4 count and to discuss their pregnancy intentions with their health care providers. A 2007 internal assessment showed that women were becoming pregnant before attaining the 350 cells/ml CD4 count and without consulting health care providers. This qualitative study explored experiences of intentionally becoming pregnant among women receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: Nine pregnant women, six newly delivered mothers and five women wanting to get pregnant were purposefully selected for in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used to organize and interpret the women's experiences of becoming pregnant. RESULTS: Women's choices for pregnancy could be categorized into one overarching theme 'strive for motherhood' consisting of three sub-themes. A child is thought of as a prerequisite for a fulfilled and happy life. The women accepted that good health was required to bear a pregnancy and thought that feeling well, taking their antiretroviral treatment and eating nutritious food was enough. Consulting health care providers was perceived as interfering with the women's decisions to get pregnant. Becoming pregnant as an HIV-infected woman was, however, complicated by the dilemmas related to disclosing HIV infection and discussing pregnancy intentions with their partners. CONCLUSIONS: Motherhood is important to women on antiretroviral treatment. But they seemed to lack understanding of the relationship between a high CD4 cell count and a low chance of transmission of HIV to offspring. Better education about the relationship of perceived good physical health, low CD4 cell count and the risk of mother to child transmission is required. Women want to control the domain of childbearing but need enough information to make healthy choices without risking transmission.

'Keeping healthy in the backseat': How motherhood interrupted HIV treatment in recently delivered women in Kenya.

Although there is a large body of literature related to the experiences of motherhood and aspects of the change that it brings about, how the experience of motherhood affects the healthcare of women with chronic illness is less documented. This study explores how motherhood in newly delivered HIV-infected mothers in Kenya interrupted their antiretroviral treatment (ART). Qualitative interviews were performed with 26 mothers on ART in a rural or urban area. The data were organised and interpreted using content analysis. The study found that adherence to ART was influenced by contextual differences in socio-cultural expectations and family relationships. Urban life enabled women to make decisions on their own and to negotiate challenges that were often unpredictable. Women in rural areas knew what was expected of them and decisions were normally not for them to make alone. The women in Busia and Kibera had difficulties combining adherence with attaining the socio-cultural definition of good mothering. Lack of support from health providers and weak healthcare systems contributed to inadequate stocks of HIV drugs and inaccessibility of HIV-related care. From the data, we developed the main theme 'keeping healthy in the backseat' and the two sub-themes 'regaining self-worth through motherhood' and 'mother first - patient later.' We suggest that motherhood is context-specific and follows socio-cultural practises, which made it difficult for the women in Kenya to follow ART instructions. There is a need to reassess HIV-related services for mothers on ART in order to give them a better chance to stay on treatment and satisfy their aspiration to be 'good mothers.' Context-specific HIV-treatment policies are necessary for ensuring adherence and successful treatment outcomes.