The comprehensive prevention program started as a Youth program targeting young people in the Mukuru slums in 2004. It has now grown to a comprehensive and nationwide program that continues to reach youth, most at risk populations and other underserved communities using various prevention strategies. The program design addresses the behavioural determinants of health to improve on interventions so as to improve the target population’s health seeking behaviours.

To achieve this goal, the program works under four strategic objectives:

a) Increasing access to HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC)

• Moonlight HTC: HOPE worldwide Kenya (HWWK) is the pioneer of an innovative program that ensures vulnerable populations get to know their HIV status. The Moonlight Voluntary Counseling and Testing began in 2005 and has evolved to become a signature intervention. The service is provided to the night populations by adjusting service hours. Our experience shows that the night services reach more clients than any other approach.
• Static Sites: The services are provided at the youth Centers which are part of the wider Centers of HOPE.
• Community Mobile HTC: The program recognizes that there is a poor health seeking behavior, more so when the clients have to walk long distance to access the service delivery point. We make it easier for families and individuals to access testing services to the nearest points hence increased affordability and enhanced accessibility.
• Door-to-Door HTC: This service aims at providing opportunities to households within selected communities to know their HIV status as well as reinforce prevention education.
• Workplace HTC: HWWK has expanded on this demand-driven exercise based on the evidence that employees are eager to know their status but hindered by time.

b) Abstinence and Being Faithful

The young people have been identified as the future of the nation. The burden of HIV/AIDS and other Reproductive Health Issues has a huge impact on the youth.

HWWK implements the following strategies in order to build their capacity:

• Peer Education, Participatory Educative Theatre and Outreaches
• Youth-Adult Partnership: Community Leaders Forums and Parent-Youth Forums
• Livelihood opportunity: Entrepreneurship and Partnerships

c)  Condom Promotion and Other Preventions

The high transmission areas and most-at-risk populations are targeted on condom promotion and other preventions. 

HWWK also aims at decreasing risk based on gender inequalities, care and support, and parent/youth communication. It facilitates dialogue and communication among participants and encourages them to be the agents of change in their communities.

The strategies implemented include:

• High Transmission Areas: HWWK has created a unique niche in reaching the underserved and most-at-risk populations. Female sex workers, truckers, bar hostesses and deejays (DJs) are trained in Peer Education (PE) and Men As Partners (MAP), and mentored to conduct night outreaches.

The counseling and testing services, condom use demonstrations and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI) services are provided during the night outreaches. Individuals and groups are equipped with skills to reduce vulnerability and risks.

• Workplace Program: HWWK works with multinational, national and small & medium enterprises to institutionalize HIV prevention programs.
• Men As Partners (MAP): This focuses on increasing awareness of gender biases, domestic violence, rape, drug and alcohol abuse, and crime.
• Comprehensive Youth Friendly Centers. The Centers of HOPE provide friendly settings for young people and general population to access health information and services, livelihood skills and recreational facilities.
• Prevention with Positives: It refers to prevention efforts that support HIV infected persons to reduce their risk of HIV transmission. HIV testing, supporting disclosure,HIV testing, supporting disclosure, partner counseling and testing, referrals for anti-retroviral therapy (ART), behavioral interventions, prevention of unintended pregnancies, universal access to Prevention of Mother to Child Transmissions (PMTCT), STI screening and treatment, and promotion of leadership by HIV positive individuals activities are provided.
• Development of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Material/Mass Media: Appropriate, audience segmented IEC materials are produced for targeted messages.