CHAK is implementing the Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) project with funding from the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN). The project aims at combating antimicrobial resistance in church health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Project goal
To ensure optimized use of antimicrobials and improved antibiotic prescribing, dispensing and disposal practices in faith-based health facilities in three targeted countries in Africa.
Implementing counties
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
AMR is a growing global threat. Currently AMR national action plans are available in majority of African countries. National Action Plans provide a policy framework and priority actions to contain the emergence and spread of AMR. However, progress of implementation of these action plans is not fully achieved.
This is attributed to lack of awareness, knowledge and appreciation of the threat of AMR and its effect on national progress, lack of technical and financial resources for implementation as well as lack of technical expertise.
Lack of Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) at health facility level and missing collaboration between faith-based health sector and government is also among the challenges faced in the process of combating AMR.
Antimicrobial Stewardship ensures the quality of antimicrobials supplied to the health facilities. One of the key interventions of this project is to implement AMS by raising awareness and training staff at the facility level to incorporate AMS in the daily operations.
The AMR project focusses on these interventions including aspects of good waste management in order to improve disposal practices within health facilities.
Key outcomes
Project activities
The Enhancing institutional capacity for education on cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and on-line blended learning project, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, aims to strengthen the education of health professionals, thereby reducing inequity in health for people living in vulnerable positions in rural areas.
The project is being implemented in rural India and East Africa by various partners. In Kenya, implementing partners are Government of Kenya – MOH, AMREF Health Africa, Africa Population Health Research Centre, NCD Alliance Kenya, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), CHAK and Kenya Medical Training College.
These health facilities and MTCs will be established as hubs during the initial project phase.
Project purpose
The project purpose is to strengthen the capacity of medical training colleges and their faculty in Kenya to provide quality education on cardiometabolic diseases through a combination of blended and e-learning methods.
The PEP project will strengthen health education systems, benefiting current and future health professionals. It will build institutional capacity of MTCs through faculty development, novel and innovative teaching and learning approaches and evidence-based education. The aim is to accelerate long-term improvements in pre-service and continuous professional education of health professionals on cardiometabolic diseases.
Quality education at MTCs, especially those located in rural areas, will provide health professionals with the requires skills and clinical experience to deliver CMD prevention and care for people living in vulnerable positions and consequently contribute to reducing inequities in health.
Faculty members will be trained on cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) and teaching pedagogy (on-line and physical) while in-service staff will be offered a short course CMD curriculum.
Rising burden of cardiometabolic diseases
Kenya is experiencing a rise in cardiometabolic diseases. Without accelerated health system responses, health inequities in accessing quality prevention of and care for CMDs are likely to increase, affecting people living in vulnerable positions the most. The rising burden of CMDs is placing heavy demands on Kenya’s health system and requires that health professionals are adequately equipped to provide patient centred and integrated quality CMD prevention and care delivery.
Medical Training Colleges (MTCs) in Kenya play a significant role in ensuring that mid-level health professionals are fit to provide CMD prevention and care to those who need it the most. Yet, quality education is hampered by gaps in the learning environment where evidence-based education and innovative and novel teaching approaches are insufficiently adopted.
Project Goal
The overall objective of the PEP programme is to improve equitable access to quality CMD prevention and care in rural/underserved areas and empower female health professionals to prosper in their professions.
Objectives
The main objective of this project is to build institutional capacity through online and blended learning and collaborative alliances for CMD education . Specifically, the project will:
a) Build institutional capacity for the education of health professionals.
b) Build MTCs capacity for innovative blended training methodologies that incorporate e-learning and mobile learning training approaches, and
c) Develop partnership network for CMD knowledge sharing and scaling of innovative approaches to institutional capacity building.
Expected outcome
The project is designed to last 24 months and aims to build a momentum for potential scale-up both in Kenya and the East Africa region in subsequent phases. Consequently, all the outcomes from this project are designed with the potential to anchor and inform follow-on phase deliverables.
Theory of change
IF (Intervention) we build institutional capacity for CMD education of health professionals, promote educational and implementation research on CMDs and health professionals, and develop partnership networks for CMD knowledge sharing and scaling of best practices and innovative approaches,
THEN (immediate and intermediate result), health education institutions in rural areas shall be strengthened with more and adequately skilled health professionals, meeting the needs of people in vulnerable positions; education/health implementation research shall increasingly be used to inform policy making; and the skill and career opportunities for female health professionals shall be strengthened.
THUS (long-term result), equitable access to quality CMD prevention and care services in rural/underserved areas shall improve, and female health professionals shall be empowered to prosper in their profession.
CHAP Stawisha is a CDC–funded project that begun on October 30, 2022, and is expected to run until September 29, 2026.The supports HIV Care and treatment interventions to 19,292 patients currently on ART in 38 facilities distributed across 8 counties, namely, Embu, Meru, Laikipia, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui and Nyandarua. In addition, the project is supporting one OVC Local Implementing partner in Machakos County.
Project purpose
To continue acceleration of sustainable, high-quality, and comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services, to achieve the 95-95-95 targets and HIV epidemic control, and transition to a sustainable service delivery model for the FBAHF facilities in the 8 target counties.
Project outcomes
Project success will be measured along four long-term benchmarks listed below. Short and intermediate-term outcomes will contribute to these benchmarks.
1. Reduced HIV incidence in the target counties
2. Virtual eMTCT of HIV
3. Reduced HIV and TB related morbidity and mortality across all populations
4. Increased investment and accountability of FBOs and county governments in the HIV/TB program
USAID Jamii Tekelezi is a county-level service delivery program offering quality and sustainable HIV prevention, care, and treatment in the counties of Meru, Embu, Nyandarua, and Tharaka Nithi, as well as services for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Meru. The project is funded by USAID.
Consortium partners
The five-year project which began in March 2021 is being implemented by a consortium comprising the following partners:
Project objective
The project’s objective is to enable the counties to achieve epidemiological control of HIV infections, while concurrently offering targeted health systems strengthening and capacity building interventions so that activities and responsibilities can incrementally and gradually transition to the county governments.
The project will support the respective county governments in responding to HIV/AIDS, safeguarding the rights and welfare of children and adolescents impacted by HIV/AIDS, and ensuring equitable access to and use of quality primary health care services.
Project sub-purposes