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Primary Submission Category: Health care/services
Faith, community, and trust: Leveraging faith-health collaborations to improve HIV prevention and care in rural western Kenya
Authors: Nema Aluku, Mary Getui, William Story,
Presenting Author: Nema Aluku*
Background: Trust in health systems is an essential determinant of HIV prevention and treatment. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, faith-based organizations provide a significant number of health services, including HIV care. However, the ways in which collaboration between faith institutions, communities, and health facilities shape patient trust and HIV care engagement are poorly documented. This study elucidates the ways in which faith-based health facilities interact with communities in the context of HIV care in rural western Kenya.
Methods: This qualitative study used an embedded multiple case study design to examine HIV prevention and treatment in 7 faith-based health facilities in Kakamega county, western Kenya. Data was collected through 33 in depth interviews with people living with HIV, 14 key informant interviews with health providers, and 8 focus group discussions with community members (48 participants). Interview guides explored patient experiences, community solidary, and institutional collaboration in HIV service delivery. Data were transcribed, translated, and analyzed thematically across cases to identify patterns related to trust, service quality and collaborative health action.
Results: Faith-health collaboration strengthened trust and patient satisfaction through respectful patient-provider relationships, strong confidentiality practices, and supportive counselling environments. Collaborative outreach activities—including community education, mobile clinics, and church-based seminars—expanded HIV awareness and improved access to HIV testing and treatment.
Conclusion: Faith-health collaborations represent powerful strategies for strengthening trust, improving patient satisfaction, and enhancing HIV care engagement. Integrating faith institutions more proactively into population health strategies may strengthen community-based HIV responses by leveraging trusted social networks and expanding outreach capacity in culturally meaningful ways.