National Aids Control Council (NACC) CEO Dr. Ruth Laibon – Masha has lauded the use of human-centred designs in HIV prevention programs to improve outcomes. She emphasised on the need for building communities agencies as a Key to ending the HIV epidemic.

Dr. Masha was speaking during the cross country Local Innovations Scaled Through Enterprise Networks (LISTEN) forum at Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel where she was the chief guest.

While welcoming a delegation from Eswatini who are also implementing the Listen Model, Dr Masha lauded the Government of Kenya and Eswatini for appreciating the importance of sustained community-led HIV prevention interventions. She pointed out the power of governments’ infrastructure in bringing to scale such models.

LISTEN is a model that applies human-centred Design, placing the communities at the centre in scaling up the HIV response using existing structures in the communities. In Kenya communities of practice have been established with Boda Boda riders in Kiambu County and Fisher Folk communities in Homabay County. In Eswatini, communities of practice have been established for adolescent girls and young women.

The event organized by George Town University’s Center for Global Health Practice and Impact, brings together Eswatini and Kenya to share best practices and review progress made since the launch of the initiative in 2019.

Dr. Masha lauded the LISTEN model of putting the community at the center of strategic public health and requested the teams to document the initiative and share lessons that can be adopted across other African Countries.

She thanked Prof. Sylvia Ojoo for her leadership and contribution to the HIV response in Kenya.