On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) global offices (USA, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Kenya) visited Mwingi Level IV Hospital, a CHS-supported facility in Kitui County, for an Operation Triple Zero (OTZ) benchmarking visit.
Operation Triple Zero (OTZ) is a HIV asset-based approach geared towards motivating adolescents and young people to take responsibility of their health and commit to achieving the three zeroes – Zero missed clinical appointments, Zero missed drugs and Zero viral load. The initiative seeks to provide adequate ART treatment literacy to adolescents, as well as unify the adolescents towards a common goal for better health and treatment outcomes.
Mwingi Sub-County Hospital in Kitui County hosted the CDC team for this half-day benchmarking activity, with support from the County Department of Health and Centre for Health Solutions – Kenya (CHS). Since October 2016, CHS through the NAISHI Project has supported the Kitui County Government in the provision of comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services, with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through CDC.
During the visit, the hospital’s Medical Superintendent interacted with the team on various aspects of an adolescent’s journey with OTZ, assisted by county, facility and CHS staff. They commended the good progress that had been achieved by the team in supporting disclosure and enrolling adolescents into the OTZ club, leading to increased viral suppression.
Being an OTZ clinic day, members of the hospital’s OTZ club were present at the facility to give the guests a taste of the activities they routinely carry out during the club meetings. They were entertained through song, dance, poems and art. They also shared some of their experiences and struggles as and the unique challenges that they face in their schools and community. Some of the adolescents also displayed some merchandise they produce such as dresses and jewellery.
This OTZ club is one of 86 such clubs in Lower Eastern which are coordinated and supported by CHS. Through these clubs, adolescents are empowered with life skills, treatment literacy information to foster good adherence to their medication, self-health management leading to good treatment outcomes, and effective transition to adult HIV and treatment programs.
