Resources
Facility and Resources
The Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS) is a Kenyan NGO established in 2002 and is registered under the Kenyan Societies Act. NRHS is composed of numerous programs devoted to HIV prevention practice and research and support for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Each program has its own designated accounting staff to ensure compliance with international accounting standards. Audits are conducted annually by a U.S. Government designated auditing firm.
NRHS enjoys the support of numerous Kenyan collaborators as well as the County Council, community leaders, NGOs, CBOs and youth organizations throughout Kisumu and Nyanza Province. The research and training clinic is known as UNIM and is located on the grounds of the Lumumba Health Centre, a general-purpose health centre operated by the Kisumu Municipal Council, providing curative and preventive care. It is well known and well regarded throughout Kisumu Town and attracts clients from a wide catchment area. On the same grounds is a PEPFAR-funded centre for treatment and care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), called FACES, administered by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). NRHS collaborates with KEMRI-FACES and shares some laboratory functions.
NRHS has clinic and office space at the UNIM Research and Training Centre (URTC), a facility built in 2002, with expansions in 2003 and 2007. URTC has approximately 6400 sq ft interior space. There is a large reception hall, three examination rooms, five counselling rooms, a laboratory, a large data entry room, secure storage rooms, kitchen, toilets, administrative offices, two offices for visiting researchers-scholars, a conference room, an infection control room, two surgical theatres and a recovery room. The laboratory, surgical theatres and stores are air conditioned. The laboratory is equipped with a hood, two centrifuges, two incubators, a -80 degree freezer, two -20 degree freezers, liquid nitrogen canisters, microscope and other conventional laboratory equipment.
In addition, NRHS rents additional property in Tom Mboya Estates on a large plot with ample space for a large garden and outdoor activities and a house with clinical space, reception area and six rooms for offices, counseling rooms and clinical rooms. This property houses the project called Anza Mapema. NRHS has additional space in an office complex in the center of Kisumu City where some GBMSM clients and study participants prefer to come to remain “hidden” and not identified with Anza Mapema, which is known to support LGBT. Between URTC, Anza Mapema and the town offices, 18 desktops are networked within a LAN to three servers – an internal proxy email server that uses ADSL, a back-up server, and a data server. These are all guarded by a Sonic Firewall. Data stored are automatically downloaded and backed-up nightly. Wireless connection to the server is available throughout. There is a generator with an automatic switch and ample capacity in case of municipal power failures. There is additional storage space in an adjacent converted container and a large house nearby.
All NRHS activities are coordinated by the Interim Director, Dr. Robert Bailey with support from the Research Director, Dr. Fredrick Otieno. Under their supervision are the Coordinators for each project and the sections of the clinic staff, counselors, reception/clerical, data management, administrative, social activities, recruitment and retention, human resources, procurement, transport, quality control, and others including research assistants, recruiters, tracers, cleaner-messengers, and security guards.
All NRHS investigators and staff, except the security guards, have up-to-date Human Subject Protection training and certification. The lab staff are GLP certified and have IATA certification for handling of dangerous goods. The URTC lab undergoes annual certification by the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board. Freezers and the safety hood are inspected and certified by an outside contractor semi-annually. All laboratory and clinical staff are trained in post-exposure prophylaxis. Fire extinguishers are placed throughout the offices and an emergency evacuation plan is in place. In cases of emergency, SOPs are in place and the major referral hospital in the region, JOOTRH, is within two kilometers.