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Overview of the CONNECT Program

The Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (CIHEB)-Kenya was awarded a five-year Cooperative Agreement by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under funding from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from 30 September 2021 to 29 September 2026. This award has been named “County Ownership and Networks to maintain Nairobi Epidemic Control (CONNECT)” to emphasize building partnerships to achieve sustainable impact at the end of the 5-year collaborative agreement through strengthened health systems in Nairobi County and in national teaching and referral hospitals (NTRHs) towards a sustainable response that is Kenya-owned, driven, and funded.

The aim of the program is to continue the acceleration of sustainable, high-quality, comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and treatment services to achieve the 95-95-95 targets and HIV epidemic control and transition to sustainable service delivery models in Nairobi County.

 

 

Program’s objectives

  1. Strengthen the provision of HIV and TB prevention, care, and treatment services for all populations including female sex workers (FSW), male who have sex with men (MSM), and people who inject drugs (PWID).
  2. Expand access to comprehensive and quality HIV prevention services for adolescent women and young girls (AGYW) through the DREAMS program and for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)
  3. Strengthen the delivery of quality HIV prevention and treatment services for pregnant women and breastfeeding and for the HIV-exposed infants.
  4. Provide high quality targeted HIV Testing Services to all general, key and priority populations, leading to the identification and linkage of people diagnosed with HIV to care.
  5. Provide quality comprehensive HIV and TB care and treatment services for HIV-infected populations.
  6. Strengthen HIV service delivery systems and networks including laboratory, supply chain and monitoring and evaluation systems, for seamless provision of comprehensive HIV and TB services.
  7. Strengthen county health systems for enhance ownership of and transition to sustainable high-quality HIV services to counties

The program is designed around providing client-centered services, increased community engagement, implementing resilient and adaptive approaches and strategies in programming, and working within county structures and systems

 

CONNECT’s approach is based on the tenets of:

  • Collaborative: Working with national and county structures to achieve county priorities
  • Partnership: Working with other implementing partners leveraging on their expertise in various aspects of health systems strengthening
  • Accountability: Aligned to national and county priorities, committed to meeting donor expectations and targets

Key Achievements

CONNECT is supporting 65 health facilities, 13 DICEs, and 31 DREAMS wards in Nairobi. As of September 30th, 2022, the program had tested 255,850 individuals, of whom 5,413 tested HIV-positive, and of these 90% were successfully linked to treatment. Over the same period, 40,642 pregnant women attending their first antenatal care (ANC) services were tested, 2,206 of whom were HIV-infected and 99% receiving ART. A total of 62,656 PLHIV are currently on ART

Offered post-GBV care to 64,678 survivors, and prevention services to 78,447 DREAMS girls and 59,465 key population persons.