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Table 2 Preliminary insights and observations

From: The origins of a research community in the Majengo observational cohort study, Nairobi, Kenya

 

Community engagement at the Majengo cohort

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The primary goals of CE in the MOCS are to educate sex workers about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and encourage them to visit the Majengo clinic for healthcare services; to recruit the women to join the cohort; and to retain them in the cohort.

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In the process, the MC staff engages with the two key constituencies - the existing cohort members, and sex workers in the Majengo village who have not yet joined the cohort.

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CE activities primarily take place on the MC premises or in the surrounding Majengo village.

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The CE strategy has grown and evolved over time.

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There has never been dedicated funding for CE for the MOCS due to common restrictions in research grant budgets.

 

The Majengo clinic (MC): The hub of community engagement

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The MC staff normally consists of two physicians, four nurses and one assistant. The physicians perform the clinical screening tasks related to recruitment to the cohort and the nurses and assistant are responsible for the day-to-day running of the MC.

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The MC serves an important social role as the main space for interaction between the MOCS and the women of the cohort.

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The MC is the sole experience of the MOCS for most cohort members and other women sex workers who may be considering joining the cohort.