IRIN News/Independent Online Profiles MSF’s HIV/AIDS, TB Clinic in Nairobi, Kenya
IRIN News/Independent Online on Friday profiled Blue House, a clinic that provides treatment for people living HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Nairobi, Kenya's Mathare slum run by Medecins Sans Frontieres. In 2005, Blue House provided treatment for 3,500 people living with TB, and about 70% of people living with TB in Mathare also are HIV-positive, according to Christine Genevier, MSF Kenya mission head. The clinic uses a modified version of the DOTS strategy that requires patients to obtain their medication weekly or monthly while receiving antiretroviral drugs at the same time. According to Genevier, Blue House has an infrastructure of social and community workers to help keep track of patients and provide follow-up treatment. In addition, the clinic has a system in place that aims to ensure patients make regular visits and also has implemented education programs aimed at encouraging people to access treatment and adhere to treatment regimens. Stigma and discrimination often prevent people from accessing treatment at Blue House, according to IRIN News/Independent Online. "Most patients come to us as discreetly as possible," an unnamed nurse at the clinic said, adding, "Some even get here before dawn, when it's still dark, so that neighbors don't recognize them" (IRIN News/Independent Online, 5/5).
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