Partners for Health and Development in Africa (PHDA), in collaboration with the Institute for Global Public Health (University of Manitoba), Nairobi County, and the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), has launched a transformative research initiative to reimagine sexually transmitted and bloodborne infection (STBBI) prevention in Kenya.
Using a Program Science approach, the project prioritizes “place” as a critical lens—examining how physical, social, and organizational environments influence HIV and STBBI risk among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), young women who sell sex (YWSS), female sex workers (FSW), and men across Nairobi County.
The study employs a robust methodology programmatic mapping, peer led ethnography, and integrated bio-behavioural surveys to uncover the ecologies of risk and safety within more than 2,000 identified sex work locations. By identifying the geographic and social contours of vulnerability, the research aims to expose significant gaps in service access, particularly among AGYW, and to develop location-specific, high impact interventions. Findings from the study will provide essential evidence to inform Kenya’s national HIV and STBBI prevention strategies, with a focus on equity, efficiency, and context-driven programming.