USAID Nuru Ya Mtoto project showcases best practices in historic forum

Kisumu, Kenya—In a groundbreaking event that marked a new chapter in HIV prevention and treatment in Kenya, more than 150 experts, policymakers, and community leaders gathered at the Sarova Imperial Hotel in Kisumu for the inaugural Best Practice Sharing and Learning Forum organized by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Nuru Ya Mtoto project. The forum’s theme, “Innovative interventions toward achieving high-quality HIV prevention and treatment services,” could not be more timely or relevant.

Kenya has made remarkable strides in reducing HIV infections and is positioned to achieve the United Nations’ 95-95-95 goal—95 percent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 percent of people who have an HIV-positive status are receiving HIV treatment, and 95 percent of people on treatment are virally suppressed. However, a belt of counties in Western Kenya bears a disproportionate burden that demands urgent attention.

“In these counties, we see both our greatest challenges and our greatest opportunities for impact,” noted Dr. Nanthalile Mugala, PATH’s Chief of the Africa Region and PATH Kenya Board Chair.

The USAID Nuru Ya Mtoto project, a five-year cooperative agreement led by PATH Kenya, operates across seven Western Kenya counties: Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nyamira, and Vihiga. This is where PATH Kenya’s expertise and dedication come to the forefront in implementing a multifaceted approach that integrates HIV services with other health and social issues, develops innovative, people-centered technologies, and strengthens local capacities for service delivery and research.

“The overall goal of the Nuru Ya Mtoto project is to provide high-quality health and social services,” explained Jackson Thoya, Chief of Party for the USAID Nuru Ya Mtoto project. “We provide HIV care and treatment services in the seven counties. We also provide services to orphans, vulnerable children, adolescent girls, and young women.”

The forum served as a crucial platform for addressing these challenges, bringing together stakeholders to share successful interventions and strategies. At the heart of these discussions was the project's comprehensive approach to health care delivery, highlighting the critical importance of strong local government ownership and multisector engagement in addressing the HIV burden in this region.

“Health is everything, and the people who are driving the health agenda [are] us,” emphasized Dr. Gregory Ganda, Kisumu County Executive Committee member. “Once we transform our health sector into a wellness program, we will be able to detect problems very early, before they occur. This is for human beings; it’s for humanity; it’s not a competition.”

The project’s comprehensive approach addresses not just the medical aspects of HIV but also the social, economic, and cultural factors that influence its spread and impact.

“The USAID Nuru Ya Mtoto project has made remarkable strides together, with over 92,000 individuals currently on treatment and a viral suppression rate of 96.3 percent,” said Felicia Price, Director of USAID’s HIV/TB Center of Excellence. “Additionally, we have reached over 43,500 adolescent girls and young women through the DREAMS initiative.”

The US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) initiative—a component of the USAID Nuru Ya Mtoto project—is a comprehensive approach that aims to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women through a package of evidence-based interventions addressing education, economic strengthening, prevention of gender-based violence, and access to youth-friendly health services. These achievements have been made possible through innovative approaches across various implementation sites.

The forum showcased numerous groundbreaking approaches to HIV prevention and treatment. One notable example came from the Oyani Seventh-day Adventist Dispensary in Migori County, where community-led innovations achieved 100 percent viral load suppression among children and adolescents. The facility employed trained community health promoters for disclosure support and treatment monitoring, demonstrating how local engagement can dramatically improve health outcomes.

Building on these successes, researchers in Vihiga County conducted a comprehensive study of tuberculosis (TB) mortality among people living with HIV, identifying key predictors and developing targeted interventions. This research has led to improved clinical care protocols and better management of coinfections, particularly TB, among people living with HIV, significantly reducing mortality rates.

“When you are thinking about adolescents and young people in the context of the HIV epidemic, remember, HIV is not the only story,” emphasized Dr. Diana Kemunto, Project Management Specialist for HIV Adolescents at USAID Kenya and East Africa. “The fact is that our health system really has not carved out a place for adolescents; there is reduced access to health services for them and poor quality of health services.” Confidentiality, timing, and having the space to be able to focus on adolescents are three areas she noted as important.

A standout feature of the project is its focus on youth engagement through initiatives like Operation Triple Zero, which promotes zero missed appointments, zero missed pills, and zero viral load among adolescents. An innovative case study from Ileho Health Centre in Kakamega demonstrated remarkable success in HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24 years. Through targeted interventions, including peer support groups, flexible clinic hours, and integrated reproductive health services, the facility increased pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake from just 1 young woman to 25 within a single quarter.

“When it comes from their peers, the outcomes are very good,” shared Jasmine Okoro from the Comprehensive Care Clinic at Migori Sub-County Hospital, highlighting the success of peer-led interventions.

The forum set a new standard for collaboration in public health, demonstrating how partnerships between international donors, implementing partners, civil society organizations, and local governments can drive sustainable change.

“Sharing best practices is about not reinventing the wheel,” Dr. Mugala continued. “There are a lot of good practices that have been generated through the implementation of this program that would allow for better management of HIV-positive individuals in the community as well as potentially preventing those who are HIV-negative.”

“There is an African proverb that says if you want to go fast, you go alone. But if you want to go far, you go together,” said Carolyne Njuguna, PATH East Africa Director and Country Director for PATH Kenya. “That is exactly what we are doing on this platform. We are bringing all our stakeholders together so that we can go far.”

Organizations looking to implement similar programs can learn from several key success factors demonstrated at the forum:

• The importance of strong local government engagement and ownership has proven crucial to the project’s success.
• The integration of clinical and community-based services has created a more comprehensive and effective care system.
• Youth-focused programming with peer-led components has shown remarkable results in engaging young people.
• Data-driven decision-making has enabled more targeted and effective interventions.
• Strategic communication and community mobilization are essential for program success.
• A holistic, community-centered approach that educates and equips individuals and transforms systems yields the best results.

The success of the USAID Nuru Ya Mtoto project demonstrates how strategic partnerships, community engagement, and innovative, integrated, people-centered approaches can drive meaningful progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS across Africa, offering valuable lessons for future programming.