Perspectives on enhancing peer support services for mothers living with HIV in Kenya: A qualitative assessment of Mentor Mothers and the mothers they serve
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- 2Department of Reproductive Health, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- 3Department of Sociology, Psychology and Anthropology, Moi University School of Arts and Social Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya
- 4Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
- 5Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- 6Research Jam, Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- 7Department of Reproductive Health, Moi University College of Health Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya
- 8Department of Psychology, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- 9Health Services Research and Development, Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
Abstract
Mentor Mother (MM) services are an evidenced-based peer support strategy embedded within prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs. The current MM strategy in Kenya provides monthly, facility-based, one-size-fits-all antiretroviral therapy adherence counselling and health education to women living with HIV (WLHIV) who are navigating PMTCT services. MMs receive a small monthly stipend as compensation for providing these services. We aimed to gather formative information from MMs and their client WLHIV, with the goal of developing an enhanced MM strategy that accounts for the unique needs of each WLHIV. From April-July 2023, we conducted qualitative interviews with MMs (n = 16) and WLHIV (n = 36) from three public health facilities supported by Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) in western Kenya. Interviews and analysis were guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM). Key findings included that both MMs and client WLHIV had favorable opinions about the possibility of developing and implementing a risk-stratified MM strategy wherein client WLHIV with identifiable risk factors receive intensified, problem-focused services while low-risk WLHIV are eligible for less intensive services. MMs and client WLHIV also agreed that empathetic MM-client relationships that leverage shared lived experiences to build trust and address stigma should remain central to the MM program. However, MMs were clear that a better-defined scope of work and capacity building through training and skills development would be necessary for successful implementation of an enhanced MM strategy. Additionally, motivating MMs with fair compensation and recognition for their work, as well as providing more resources for client WLHIV with economic barriers to care, could promote adoption and sustainability of an enhanced MM strategy. Additional participatory research, as well as input from system-level stakeholders, is needed to ensure feasible enhancements to MM services are contextualized within the real-world constraints of PMTCT programs.
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BibTeX
@article{carlucci2026perspectives,
title = {{Perspectives on enhancing peer support services for mothers living with HIV in Kenya: A qualitative assessment of Mentor Mothers and the mothers they serve}},
author = {James G. Carlucci and Rosa Chemwey Ndiema and Violet Naanyu and Marylydia Atieno Kiano and John M. Humphrey and Bridget Hawryluk and Edwin Were and Alan McGuire and Kara Wools-Kaloustian},
journal = {PLOS Global Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pgph.0007277},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007277},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Perspectives on enhancing peer support services for mothers living with HIV in Kenya: A qualitative assessment of Mentor Mothers and the mothers they serve
AU - James G. Carlucci
AU - Rosa Chemwey Ndiema
AU - Violet Naanyu
AU - Marylydia Atieno Kiano
AU - John M. Humphrey
AU - Bridget Hawryluk
AU - Edwin Were
AU - Alan McGuire
AU - Kara Wools-Kaloustian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
JO - PLOS Global Public Health
DO - 10.1371/journal.pgph.0007277
UR - https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0007277
AB - Mentor Mother (MM) services are an evidenced-based peer support strategy embedded within prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs. The current MM strategy in Kenya provides monthly, facility-based, one-size-fits-all antiretroviral therapy adherence counselling and health education to women living with HIV (WLHIV) who are navigating PMTCT services. MMs receive a small monthly stipend as compensation for providing these services. We aimed to gather formative information from MMs and their client WLHIV, with the goal of developing an enhanced MM strategy that accounts for the unique needs of each WLHIV. From April-July 2023, we conducted qualitative interviews with MMs (n = 16) and WLHIV (n = 36) from three public health facilities supported by Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) in western Kenya. Interviews and analysis were guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM). Key findings included that both MMs and client WLHIV had favorable opinions about the possibility of developing and implementing a risk-stratified MM strategy wherein client WLHIV with identifiable risk factors receive intensified, problem-focused services while low-risk WLHIV are eligible for less intensive services. MMs and client WLHIV also agreed that empathetic MM-client relationships that leverage shared lived experiences to build trust and address stigma should remain central to the MM program. However, MMs were clear that a better-defined scope of work and capacity building through training and skills development would be necessary for successful implementation of an enhanced MM strategy. Additionally, motivating MMs with fair compensation and recognition for their work, as well as providing more resources for client WLHIV with economic barriers to care, could promote adoption and sustainability of an enhanced MM strategy. Additional participatory research, as well as input from system-level stakeholders, is needed to ensure feasible enhancements to MM services are contextualized within the real-world constraints of PMTCT programs.
SN - 2767-3375
ER -