HIV/AIDS strike Africa with a deplorable burden that if it were not for the “Putting more Hands into the Heart” philosophy as Camillians reiterates in their Mission statement, the majority of African homes would have turned ghostly at the dawn of the 2000 millennium. In 1997 when St. Camillus M. Hospital was being established in Karungu, the HIV prevalence rate was 45% in Nyatike District (now Sub County). This Sub County and its environ was deeply engulfed in the HIV scourge owing to local practices and beliefs. It was not just statistics but lives destined for a forbidding death. The majority of victims were aged between 15 and 45 years, a cohort supposed to be active in the Economic production of any society. Orphans and widows wiped their tears in disbelief. Child-led families gained ground.
God’s rescue plan never fails to yield. St. Camillus Mission Hospital, Karungu under the patronage of Rev. Fr. Emilio Balliana, swiftly took up the task of HIV management in 2000 through prophylaxis and prevention awaiting ARVs. The priority was Hospital Staff. Facility sponsored ARV Program later commenced in May 2002 when Fr. Emilio started buying the drugs from Thailand and 87 patients were started immediately.
The Conference held in April 2004 at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, between PEPFAR AIDS Relief Consortium members led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Health Facilities marked a new journey for HIV/AIDS management in high-prevalence regions across the Country.
Accurate data presented by Fr. Emilio, and Dr. Bertha at this Conference touched hearts. St. Camillus was confirmed a Point of Service (POS) and started receiving free ARVs and funds, among 9 Hospitals only in Kenya, for AIDS Relief Program Implementation. St. Camillus went into CRS-AIDSRelief within the same year, 2004, with over 100 patients started on ARVs, among them 13 children under the age of 15. This was the birth of the ART Project. Additional Clinical and Psychosocial staff were recruited to enhance efforts. An initial Organogram was established that highlighted the position of Project Coordinator as the lead. This was a donor compliance requirement. Initially, the program had Karungu, Nyatike, Muhuru, and Gwassi Administrative Divisions as catchment areas before a request from Ndhiwa for inclusion. St. Camillus was the 1st HIV treatment facility within Southern Nyanza. Tanzanians and Ugandans with relatives within the catchment similarly accessed HIV Care and Support at St. Camillus Karungu without discrimination.
To reduce high HIV stigma and discrimination, St. Camillus ART Project closely focused on Community Mobilization and Sensitization. Local Ministry of Health officers assisted in recruiting Community Health Volunteers (CHVs). This Credit goes to Mr. David Siso who was the first facility Social Worker. The exercise highly increased access to VCT services and onward enrollment of the positives.
From 2008 when cumulative patient numbers clocked 7000, seven satellite clinics were introduced through partnership with neighboring Health Centers/Dispensaries to move services closer to the people. Lwanda Gwassi, Otati, Osani, Kiasa, Mirogi, Wath Onger, Kadem TB, and Muhuru health facilities became key in this initiative.
Professional Staff number correspondingly grew to over 65 thus pushing the annual budget close to KES.70M ($ 700,000). A portion of this funding also went to Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) through the availability of Space, Clinical, and Laboratory Equipment’s for quality monitoring of treatment outcomes.
After CRS, KCCB took over in 2012 as a local partner to implement the Kenya AIDS Response Program (KARP) before transitioning to Acceleration, Transition and Sustainability (ACTS). ACTS aims to prepare for a full takeover of HIV management by the Kenyan Government come 2027.
Milestones made that are worth celebrating at this 20th Anniversary is the presence of Client number 001. A female, former general worker at St. Camillus, who was enrolled at the palliative stage is still alive to date with 3 negative children courtesy of PMTCT interventions. She pursued college and is currently a School Teacher. Besides a few that succumbed, the majority are going about their lives normally while adhering to treatment, if not at St. Camillus then in other health facilities. HIV-induced widows and orphans have drastically reduced. The latest HIV Prevalence per County put Migori at 9.7% and Homabay at 15.2% respectively compared to 4.9% nationally.
Considering Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) social needs, St. Camillus Dalakiye Children Welfare Home was founded in the year 2000 by Camillians. The program has been pivotal in effecting OVC HIV/AIDS treatment. Sixty children are accommodated annually while pursuing primary education too. a number have similarly benefited from high school and college scholarships under this program.
St. Camillus has gained recognition in several forums both locally and internationally. Obillo Meshack, the current Coordinator, had the opportunity to present an Abstract at the ICASA in 2011 in Addis, Ethiopia. Numerous Trophies were awarded overtime for exemplary performance. The number of patients ever enrolled and started on treatment before any form of attrition including a transition to the former satellite facilities stands at 12,954.
Long Live PEPFAR, CRS, MoH, and the Camillians in Kenya.
Report compiled from Meshack Obillo – HIV Services Lead, (HSL)
