Background

The vision of Home Based Care in Kenya is one of quality of care being made available to all who need it, spanning a continuum from the health facility to the community and to the family. This care ought to be accessible to all in need, sustainable, free of stigma, and supported by motivated and informed communities and health service providers. The care also ought to be comprehensive and continuous being extended from the health facility to the homes. Both within the health facility and at home level, care focuses on the patient through the provision of physical, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual care.

With over two million Kenyans living with HIV/AIDS and over seventy thousand of them on ARVs, the importance of ensuring that quality care is extended beyond the health facility becomes a priority strategy. Improving the quality of life under Priority Area 2 of the Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan therefore becomes a crucial component and a guiding principle as we implement HBC activities.

Currently, the country has a number of Non-Governmental Organizations and civil society organizations providing HBC though the percentage is very low compared to the number in need of the services. The need therefore, to establish structures and strengthen care provision systems as well as putting in place referral linkages up to the home level is one of the priorities in HBC provision and in line with the Ministry of Health Strategy for the delivery of Services through the Essential Package for Health to the community.

The provision of quality care beyond the health facility has become an important component in the provision of HIV/AIDS care and support. This entails the continuation of all care components from the health facility to the home level, while maintaining some standard of care. The introduction of ART to the management of HIV positive patients further stresses the importance of HBC to ensure adherence to therapy and close supervision for any adverse effects to treatment.

To facilitate this, the HBC focuses on three main areas:

1. Systems strengthening mainly
2. Capacity building at various levels
3. Materials production and support supervision