Where we work

Kenya

Take a photo tour of our community activities in Kenya.

In Kenya, an assessment conducted by the IYCN Project and PATH found that HIV-exposed babies are at increased risk of HIV infection and other childhood illnesses as a result of poor infant feeding practices. Inadequate knowledge and unhelpful cultural beliefs among mothers and health workers, and a lack of support for good infant feeding practices, contribute to the problem.

IYCN is collaborating closely with PATH’s APHIA II Western project (A2W) to prevent malnutrition and increase HIV-free survival among infants and young children in Western Province. We are working at the facility and community levels to improve infant feeding counseling for HIV-positive mothers and strengthen support for optimal feeding practices.

Highlights

In April 2009, IYCN collaborated with PATH and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to train psychosocial support counselors on infant feeding within the context of HIV. Through A2W, IYCN is continuing to provide support for the counselors to assist HIV-positive mothers with infant feeding at health facilities in Western Province.
From June 2009 until September 2009, the project will partner with the Society for Women and AIDS in Kenya to train more than 435 community-based workers to incorporate infant feeding into A2W’s existing HIV activities, including home visits, discussion groups, and community mobilization activities.

Learn more

Resources

Engaging Men to Increase Support for Optimal Infant Feeding in Western Kenya

Infant Feeding Assessment: Eastern and Western Provinces

Infant Feeding Brochures

Infant Feeding and HIV: Reporting Tools

Infant Feeding and HIV Trainer's Manual

Infant Feeding and HIV Participant's Manual

Contact

For more information, please contact info@iycn.org.

Photos: Aurelio Ayala III, Richard Lord, Wendy Stone