USAID Dumisa Afya Quality Improvement Best Practices Sharing and Learning Forum

CONCEPT NOTE

Preamble

USAID Dumisha Afya project is a 5-year USAID funded service delivery project, under the auspices of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), whose aim is to provide sustainable efforts in access to health care by increasing the use of County-led health and social services in Bungoma and Busia Counties through the support of the American people. This is a service delivery project, providing HIV prevention, Care and Treatment services. The project is expected to support the Government of Kenya (Gok) in attaining its goal of addressing HIV/AIDS, safeguarding the rights of the welfare of children and adolescents impacted by HIV/AIDS, ensuring equitable access to use of quality primary health care services by the most vulnerable.

As part of its Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives, USAID Dumisha Afya is organizing a Best Practices Sharing and Learning Forum. This forum aims to showcase innovations, foster collaborative learning, and scale best practices in HIV service delivery across Bungoma and Busia counties. The event will provide a platform for stakeholders, health leaders, and experts to engage in knowledge exchange, thus supporting the project’s objective of achieving sustainable, high-quality HIV services.

Theme: “Leveraging Innovations and Best Practices for Collaborative Learning, Adaptation, and Scaling to Enhance Quality HIV Services, and Achieve HIV Epidemic Control.”

Sub-Themes

The forum will focus on the following key sub-themes:

• HIV Prevention: HTS, PrEP, GBV, and services for key and vulnerable populations.

• Care and Treatment: Treatment optimization, continuity of treatment/retention, TB, viral load suppression, pediatric HIV, adolescent and young people (AYP), and HIV/NCDs.

• PMTCT and Cervical Cancer Screening and Management: Triple elimination and ending AIDS in children.

• Health System Strengthening: Service integration, human resources for health (HRH), leadership, finance, and administration.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Electronic Medical Records (EMR), data analytics, and quality improvement.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the forum are to:

• Showcase innovations and best practices in HIV prevention, care, and treatment to improve health outcomes.

• Foster collaborative learning and knowledge exchange among program teams, healthcare workers, and implementing partners.

• Encourage scaling of successful models of care and strategies to enhance the quality of HIV service delivery.

• Strengthen partnerships and networking opportunities across counties, healthcare facilities, and technical teams.

• Enhance the capacity of county leadership and health systems to deliver integrated, quality, and sustainable HIV services.

Format and Structure

The forum will include the following components:

• Keynote speech and subject matter presentations by leaders and experts in HIV, TB, and public health, focusing on key issues in service delivery and health systems strengthening.

• Panel discussions featuring subject matter experts on primary health care, service integration, HIV, and other key topics.

• Oral and poster presentations from different program areas selected competitively, showcasing innovative approaches and successful models of care.

• Track/Sessions based on the sub-themes providing a platform for focused discussions on critical areas like HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment, PMTCT, Health System Strengthening, and Monitoring & Evaluation. These sessions will feature interactive presentations and discussions with subject matter experts.

• Gallery walks displaying best practices in posters, projects, and research across thematic areas.

• Expo booths from various program areas.

• Networking opportunities to foster connections with peers, experts, and technical leaders in HIV and primary health care.

• Award ceremonies recognizing innovations, outstanding presentations, and best practices that have significantly contributed to quality improvement in HIV service delivery.

Target Audience

The forum is expected to attract 200 participants, including:

• Facility staff from Bungoma and Busia counties.

• County and sub-county management teams and top county leadership from Bungoma and Busia Counties.

• Technical teams from implementing partners.

• MTRH and AMPATH Leadership.

• USAID representatives.

• Experts and thought leaders in HIV care, primary health care, and health systems.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the forum, we expect the following outcomes:

• Enhanced collaboration and shared learning across counties and among stakeholders, improving cross-county and cross-sectoral synergies.

• The adoption of innovative solutions and best practices in HIV service delivery that can be scaled across Bungoma and Busia counties and beyond.

• Strengthened County government capacity to integrate HIV services into primary healthcare, leading to sustainable and efficient service delivery models.

• Focused attention on quality improvement (QI) initiatives that prioritize client-centered care and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

• Networking among healthcare workers, technical teams, county leaders, and external partners to sustain dialogue and collaboration beyond the forum.

Event Details

Dates: 17th to 19th September 2024

Venue: Bungoma Town

Duration: 2.5 days (excluding travel days for those outside Bungoma and Busia Counties)

Logistics and Support

USAID Dumisha Afya will cover the conference package for all participants in addition to facilitating the facility staff and county officials participate in the conference. Other implementing partners are expected to arrange their own travel and accommodation logistics.