Home Based Care for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS in Rural Kenya

Globally, an estimated 35.3 million people were living with HIV in 2012. In Kenya, HIV and AIDS is a national disaster affecting mainly people in the productive and reproductive age group of 15 to 49 years. Home and Community Based Care (HBC) is a critical component in the care, support and mitigation of the effects of HIV and AIDS but whose utilization is still low in Kenya. The aim of this book is to document the factors associated with HBC uptake among rural PLWHAs in Kenya. A population based survey was conducted in rural Kenya among adult PLHIV. Respondents were randomly from among PLHIV registered and receiving HIV care and treatment in Government of Kenya comprehensive care centres. The overall utilization of HBC uptake among rural PLWHAs is low in Kenya. The study recommends scaling up of HBC programs to comprehensively cover all sub-counties that have established the services and to reach those PLHIV who have not accessed HBC, strengthening referral systems between HBC and other services including strengthening of linkage between health facilities and community so as to ensure the continuum of care, and strengthening Districts to support monitor and supervise HBC programs.