Fishing communities and particularly the crowded fishing landing sites are a beehive of activities throughout the day. The night is leisure time. Family Medical Point targeted that leisure time to promote uptake of comprehensive sexual reproductive health services at Kasenyi fishing landing site by holding a moonlight (night) integrated community outreach on the 20 August 2022.
The results were amazing! A total turn up of 223 community members dominated by key populations of interest to FMP – sex workers, young girls and boy and women of reproductive age engaged in the small scale trade in the landing site. 23 women were served with family planning, 219 tested for HIV/AIDs, 78 were provided counseling, 7 women were supported to manage complications arising from unwanted pregnancies and attempts to unsafely terminate pregnancies and 2 young people were offered PREP.
In collaboration with TASO Entebbe who provided HIV/AIDS counseling and testing and Cliff Medicare who offered operational space, the outreach supported FMP’s ongoing studies on how best to reach forgotten populations who’s day to day engagements do not support the normal trend of health seeking behaviors.. The integrated health outreach was conducted at the centre of three sex work hotspots in Kasenyi landing site, on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The night outreach was planned and coordinated by FMP’s outreach team leader, volunteers, the local police and community influencers. This resulted in the high turn up of up to 223 people (especially men and sex workers) seeking for SRH services and commodities compared to the 73 who attended the daylight outreach organized in the same venue the previous day. Services such as HIV testing and counseling, family planning , PREP and general health care were offered.
During this night outreach, there was a massive turn up of men compared to women visiting the tent for sexual and reproductive health services and commodities. Most of these men also referred their wives and sexual partners for HIV testing and family planning services. Despite the fact that most men associated their low health seeking behavior to their busy schedule, 80% of them shared that they feared being seen near community health centers or even daylight community outreaches. Others added that fear of knowing their HIV status publicly especially if tested positive, withdrew them from testing or even visiting health facilities for HIV testing services.
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It was an amazing experience well done
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