The forum which was held on 5 – 6 September, 2016 in Nakuru County attracted 83 participants from ten countries in Central, East and Southern Africa. The forum was convened by KELIN in partnership with, the UNDP regional office as part of implementation of the Global Fund regional grant “Removing Legal Barriers to Access.” The forum sought to strengthen regional and national evidence-based law, policy and strategy to support improved access to and delivery of HIV and TB services for key populations. It also sought to strengthen regional and national mechanisms to prevent and address human rights violations that impede key populations’ access to HIV and TB services.
At the end of the forum participants including key populations representatives, civil society, law enforcement officers and health care workers committed to taking forward a number of action points including;
- Engaging the legislature and executive to influence law and policy reforms to address the negative effects of the punitive laws and policies.
- Scaling up of sensitisation forums for law enforcement officers and health care workers to provide a platform for sharing of good practices from other regions.
- Advocacy to raise awareness on the existence of KPs and the need to respect the rights of all people and the need to engage with communities to address cultural perceptions that lead to stigma and discrimination.
KELIN will work with its partner organizations ARASA, Enda Sante, SALC and UNDP to follow up with participants and ensure that the action points are taken forward.
To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms: Twitter: @KELINkenya using these hashtag #Justice2Health
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya
For more information contact:
Ted Wandera
Programme Officer, Key Populations
Mombasa Road, Somak Building 4th floor
P.O Box 112-00200, KNH,
Tel +254 726 419 173
Email: twandera@kelinkenya.org
