Health Action AIDS

Halting the Feminization of AIDS: Lessons from Kenya

Background Info  |  Success Stories  |  Action Toolkit

The HAA campaign is committed to halting the feminization of AIDS. Currently, women are particularly vulnerable to the epidemic due in part to fragmented health services. This site provides advocacy resources for a critical rights-based intervention - the integration of reproductive health services, including family planning, and HIV/AIDS services.*

In addition to the resources below, you can follow our March blog series highlighting these stories and lessons learned from Kenya in honor of International Women's Day on March 8th.

Background Information

Education is a necessary component to successful advocacy on any subject. Read, download, print and distribute these factsheets and guides to share with your community and policymakers.

• What is service integration and how does it fit within PHR's Health Action AIDS Campaign?
• Why is integration needed to halt the feminization of AIDS? 
• Why is integration needed to ensure the right to health?

Stories from Kenya

In December 2008, PHR staff conducted a series of interviews in Kenya to learn from providers, clients, local NGO staff, and government officials about their experiences with integrating family planning and HIV/AIDS voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services.

• A Holistic Approach - Lessons from Emma
• Outreach in Action - A Day with Marie Stopes Kenya

Population Council and Family Health International (FHI) worked with the Kenyan Ministry of Health to initiate and study models of integration. Both organizations contributed valuable insight into this project.

• Population Council, Kenya: Integrating VCT into existing family planning services:

  Feasibility, Acceptability, Effect and Cost of Integrating (2008)

• Family Health International, Kenya: Integrating family planning into existing VCT services:

  Progress to Date and Lessons Learned (2006)

  Strategy For The Integration (2007)

Action Toolkit

While advocacy around PEPFAR reauthorization had many successes last year, it did not give the necessary attention to the integration of family planning and HIV services. We need your help:

• Slideshow to Educate your colleagues and community (PPT)
• Helpful tips for in-district meetings to meet with your member of Congress:

  Halting the Feminization of the AIDS Epidemic: The Need for Service Integration (A handout for policymakers and advocates)

• Guide to Collecting endorsements for Health Rights=Healthy Women.

*Integrating family planning and VCT services is just one example that falls within a more comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS and non-HIV/AIDS service integration. To address the AIDS epidemic, health systems must integrate HIV/AIDS services for prevention, care and treatment with non-HIV services such as primary care, maternal and child health, and reproductive health services, including family planning. Additionally, HIV/AIDS services should be connected to community-based services that address underlying determinants for health, e.g. poverty, unemployment and legal inequalities.