NEPHAK’S INVOLVEMENT WITH TB, TB/HIV AND MDR TB RESPONSE WORK
Although founded 10 years ago as a network with core business on HIV and AIDS, NEPHAK has in the recent past taken up the work on TB, MDR TB and TB/HIV as their other core concerns. In deed, HIV-associated TB is leading cause of sickness death among people living with HIV in Kenya and NEPHAK has been part of the advocacy campaign and clarion call: LIVING WITH HIV; DYING OF TB.
NEPHAK involvement in TB, TB/HIV and MDR TB response has taken a number of approaches and strategies. Coalition building, enhancing partnerships and capacity building are some of the appraoches the network uses to andace their TB advocacy agenda. In 2010, the main work of NEPHAK was shaped by support and partneship with the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the International Community of Women living with HIV (icw) East African Chapter. Under this partnrship, TAG and ICW organized events and meeting from which NEPHAK staff’s knowledge of TB, MDR TB and HIV – associated TB was increased. There were 4 such specific meetings in 2010 and the result was that NEPHAK staff got a deeper understanding of TB science and other crucial aspects such as TB diagnosis, TB tretament and TB Care.
Partnership and capacity building of NEPHAK staff by the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the International Community of Women living with HIV (ICW) also made NEPHAK undertake additional assignments and tasks thereby raising the visibility and profile of the netwok and PLHIV within variuos froa and initiatives. NEPHAK was part of the 2010 ‘Civil Society and Community Consultations on TB Care’ organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Th consultations were part of the wider WHO strategy for community engagement in the response to TB. In deed, in 2006, the World Health Organization asserted that unvelied a new Stop TB Strategy with a significant provision for community engagement. In fact, the fifth objective of the Stop TB Strategy is to secure community engagement in TB care and control.
NEPHAK at the WHO’s Stop TB Partnership
IN 2010, NEPHAK had strong presence at the Stop TB Partnership and repreneted PLHIV and communities at 4 working groups: Advocacy, communication and  mobilization  (ACSM); TB/HIV; Global Laboratories Initiative (GLI) and; the New TB Vaccines. The working groups are an initiative of the Stop TB Partneship and drives the work of the Partnership while supporting the work of WHO Stop TB department.
NEPHAK, as an institution and network of PLHIV is a member of the advocacy, communication social mobilizaton initiatives and working groups both in Kenya and at the global levels.
NEPHAK also hosts representatives of the Global Laboratory initiative working group, New TB vaccinesworking group and the TB/HIV working group (through Network of Men Living with HIV – NETMA, which is a member organization of NEPHAK).  The role of the community representatives at the Stop TB Partnership working groups is to represent the voices of communities infected and affected by TB and HIV and to provide input and feedback on policies and other issues that affect them PLHIV and affected communities.
The core concern of NEPHAK is to educate communities, mainly people living with HIV and TB Patients and survivors to enable them understand and respond to TB. NEPHAK is also at the forefront of advocacy and social mobilization of communities and like-minded partners to prevent, diagnose, treat and manage TB, and especially TB that is associated with HIV. NEPHAK is also engaged in concerted advocacy at all levels to ensure increased funding to TB response.
In 2010, NEPHAK with support from the Stop TB Partnership implemented local community monitoring and advocay activities aimed at strengthening engagement of PLHIV and TB patients/survivors in the national response to TB. These activities were in 3 areas and aimed at reducing the burden of TB among PLHIV, advocacy for increased access to quality laboratory services to communities and educating communities and PLHIV on the need for new TB vaccines.

NEPHAK members in Nyanza during campaigns for increased access to quality laboratory services.

NEPHAK staff join ‘TB March’ in Vienna, July 2010