Uasin Gishu Partners with KNH, University of Washington to Boost HIV Prevention Through PrePARE Study
Milcah Okwany, Director of Health Planning and Administration, underscored the importance of PrEP in protecting pregnant women and infants.
Uasin Gishu County partners with KNH and University of Washington to boost HIV prevention through the PrePARE Scale Study. Photo/UG County.
By Robert Assad
Uasin Gishu County Government, under Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim, has partnered with Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the University of Washington to enhance HIV prevention through the PrePARE Scale Study, an initiative focused on expanding access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) services.
On Friday, the County Department of Health Services held a sensitization meeting bringing together the County Health Management Team and key program officers to assess the study’s progress and chart strategies to strengthen PrEP service delivery.
The study seeks to establish a more effective, sustainable, and community-rooted approach to HIV prevention.
Dr. Wenseslaus Kuria, Acting Director of Health Services, described the initiative as transformative. “The PrePARE Scale Study is not just about HIV prevention; it’s about creating a lasting model driven by community engagement and shared learning to ensure long-term impact,” he said.
The study is built around three key components: forming communities of practice to share knowledge among health workers, implementing quality improvement collaboratives to refine service delivery, and distributing training toolkits to enhance staff capacity.
This multi-faceted approach is expected to uncover best practices at the facility level, making PrEP delivery more efficient and replicable across health systems.
Milcah Okwany, Director of Health Planning and Administration, underscored the importance of PrEP in protecting pregnant women and infants.
“Acute HIV infections during pregnancy are a major cause of infant HIV cases. PrEP is both safe and essential during pregnancy and postpartum,” she stated.
Several health facilities across Uasin Gishu are already engaged in the PrePARE study. Data collected will provide critical insights that can inform policy, improve healthcare delivery, and guide scaling efforts within and beyond the county.
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