ID-CARE Team lands in Kenya for HIV research project: C.O.AC.H
- ID-CARE ID-CARE
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
The ID-CARE Research Team recently arrived in Machakos County, Kenya, marking an important step in launching the implementation phase of the YOUR-COACH study within the Community Oriented ACtions against HIV (C.O.AC.H) project.
The visit brought the research team directly into health facilities across Mwala Sub-County, including Mbiuni Health Center, Mwala and Masii Level 4 Hospitals, Muthetheni, and Wamunyu Health Centers. Walking alongside frontline healthcare and community workers, the team explored service delivery settings and assessed readiness to introduce youth-responsive HIV and sexual and reproductive health services.
Led by study coordinator, Fabiana Arieti, these exchanges helped build strong relationships with co-investigators and local staff, setting the foundation for collaborative and people-centered research.
The YOUR-COACH study will examine how tailored facility-, community-, digital-, and youth-led approaches can better connect adolescents and young people aged 15–24 to HIV prevention, care, and sexual and reproductive health services.
In the weeks ahead, coordination meetings with key partners—Medicus Mundi Italia, Deaf Empowerment Kenya, and the Machakos County Ministry of Health—will guide the next steps. Training sessions for field co-investigators and peer educators will follow, focusing on ethical and practical aspects of the implementation research and strengthening community capacity to address challenges such as HIV, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence.
This first visit reflects a shared commitment to listening, learning, and working together to create meaningful, evidence-based change for young people in Machakos.
We look forward to reporting further progress as YOUR-COACH implementation moves forward in Kenya!
Find out more about C.O.AC.H here: https://www.id-care.net/projects/c.o.ac.h-kenya
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