ADVERT 
By Sharon Onyango
Siaya County has intensified efforts to improve HIV clinical care by leveraging technology, peer mentorship, and evidence-based decision-making in a renewed push to enhance patient outcomes and accelerate viral suppression.
The County Department of Health and Sanitation, through the County Health Management Team (CHMT) and in collaboration with the CoAg-NGIMA FOR SURE programme, convened its Quarterly Peer-to-Peer Support Debrief Session, bringing together healthcare worker champions, county and sub-county HIV programme officers to assess progress in service delivery and chart strategies for improving integrated HIV care.
The high-level forum focused on strengthening the management of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), viral hepatitis and voluntary testing services by reviewing clinical performance, sharing best practices and addressing persistent challenges affecting healthcare facilities across the county.
A major highlight of the meeting was the unveiling of the NYAWEST Data Dashboard, an innovative digital platform designed for counties in the Nyanza and Western Kenya regions. The interactive system provides real-time monitoring of mentorship activities, viral load suppression trends, mortality rates, quality-of-care indicators and clinical decision-making.
Health officials said the dashboard will enable clinicians and programme managers to identify service delivery gaps faster, monitor facility performance more effectively and make timely, data-driven interventions that improve patient care.
Participants also called for wider adoption of the Kobo digital platform to strengthen data collection, reporting and analysis at both health facility and sub-county levels. They recommended refining dashboard indicators to better reflect Siaya County’s health priorities, ensuring that data collected directly informs policy decisions and programme improvements.
The forum further underscored the importance of continuous clinical mentorship, structured peer-to-peer learning and multidisciplinary collaboration as critical pillars in delivering high-quality HIV services. Participants agreed that regular reviews of clinical indicators would help target technical support where it is most needed while fostering continuous quality improvement across healthcare facilities.
County health officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening facility-based peer support systems, expanding the use of digital health technologies and promoting evidence-based clinical practice to improve the quality of HIV services.
The renewed strategy is expected to enhance viral load suppression, improve treatment outcomes and ensure that recipients of care continue receiving sustainable, high-quality and patient-centred health services.
With increased investment in digital health innovation, clinical mentorship and collaborative learning, Siaya County is positioning itself as a regional leader in strengthening HIV service delivery and advancing Kenya’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
