Seeking HIV treatment in Kenya: What should you know about it?

Recently, HIV testing and counselling associated with HIV infection has experienced a rapid surge. Worldwide, millions of people are currently suffering with HIV. The statistics further suggest that the virus is rapidly being spread in African countries such as Kenya. In this regard, many people are actively looking for medical doctors for HIV treatment in Kenya.

Introduction

The World Health Organization is actively conducting various programmes, including HIV testing and counselling in countries such as Kenya, to severely reduce the stigma associated with the same in public. The programme has also facilitated incorporation of number of ways to sustain after infection, prevention and also allow proper care for patients, who have been already infected with HIV.
The programme has been initiated with number of pilot sites that are being operational on the basis of strong foundation for the development of definitive standards and guidelines.

Different types of HIV testing and counselling

The document is intended for proposing a definition of HIV testing and counselling programme in broader sense; and the same can be initiated through client, patients as well as healthcare providers. The categorization can further be proposed as follows:

Client initiated HIV testing and counselling:

This is known to be as the situation, wherein clients that can be anyone such as a couple, or an individual or a group of individuals which is actively looking for a facility that conducts HIV testing and a counselling without any obstruction. Conventionally, in countries like Kenya many voluntary testing centers were present, however these types of HTCs are primarily initiated by clients only, and especially in the settings like nearby health facility or clinics, mobile homes or in any of the people’s home to promote early detection of HIV. This can further be helpful to make important decisions related to one’s life or to plan one’s future as well as the future of their family.

Typical client-initiated HIV testing and counselling can propose emphasize of tailored risk reduction to help him identify a plan for HIV transmission and/or acquisition.

Provider Initiated HIV testing and counselling:

This refers to the situation, wherein the HTC service provider may offer an instant HIV testing to the client along with the counselling. This HTC service provider can either be a health worker or social worker or any other type of service provider. It should be noted that provider-initiated counselling and testing is always different than that of direct counsellor, as the later one may target patients with the symptoms and signs associated with HIV. Contrary to which, the former one can initiate counselling for whom so ever concerned with HIV, as a part of routine health care.

According to the regulatory guidelines, HIV counselling should be a part of usual methods associated with medical diagnosis and can be initiated at any time as a routine medical procedure before the onset of HIV symptoms. For people, who have already been contracted with HIV, provider-initiated counselling can offer counselling associated with other HIV related manifestations, so that they may more readily access comprehensive care and treatment services.