Family Health International
Established in 1971, Family Health International (FHI) is non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives, knowledge and understanding worldwide through a highly diversified program of research, education and services in HIV/AIDS prevention and care and family health, and serving clients in more than 38 countries. FHI operates in collaboration with a worldwide network of government agencies, research institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector entities, and offers a broad spectrum of technical services ranging from clinical research to advising governments on national health policy. FHI contributes to significant advances in public health through research, training and information to improve family planning and reproductive health service delivery and HIV/AIDS and STD prevention and care programs.
Treatment, Care and Support Services
FHI has supported the Ministry of Health, the Municipal Councils and private health facilities to provide comprehensive care services to PLHA. FHI has supported the establishment of 50 HIV comprehensive care centres in Kenya. FHI Kenya has also supported the Ministry of Health to upgrade STI clinics and outreach efforts, Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), and Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT).
Community-Based HIV/AIDS Mitigation Interventions
FHI/IMPACT Kenya has supported home care programs in partnership with FBOs and Ministry of Health in Western Kenya. In addition, FHI has supported 19 CBOs to build capacity in community to provide psychosocial support to PLHA and their families. Through this, 1792 community counsellors, child counsellors, community based paralegals have been trained. FHI has trained PLHA in disclosure, will writing, parent child communication and public speaking to enable them to meaningfully participate in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and stigma reduction. Referral linkages between facility based and community based services have been established.
To complement clinic-based prevention activities in Kenya, FHI has supported mass media campaigns on VCT and ART. In 1998, FHI supported the first VCT sites in Kenya. In addition, FHI/IMPACT supported the government to develop the VCT guidelines and the VCT strategy. FHI has provided technical and material assistance to roll VCT services to 208 sites in Kenya.
Support interventions
FHI helps partners to establish, upgrade and manage resource centres; to conduct behavioural surveillance surveys (BSS); and evaluative research. FHI/IMPACT has supported the Government of Kenya Ministry of Health to develop various technical guidelines and training curricula in VCT, ART and OVC. FHI staff are members of various technical committees that shape policy at the national level.
Strategic studies
FHI has also carried out studies that have informed national policy in Kenya. Some of the studies include the integration of FP into VCT services, female condom study, commercial sex workers study, and isoniazid and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy study.
Contact Information
Family Health International (FHI)
Gold Star Network
The Chancery Building, 2nd floor
P.O. Box 38835 – 00623
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254 20 2713913/4/5/6
Fax: 254 20 2726130
Email: goldstarnework@fhi.or.ke
Website: www.goldstar-network.org / www.fhi.org
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