Karuri Medically Assisted Therapy (MAT) Clinic, dedicated to the rehabilitation of drug addicts, has been officially handed over to the Kiambu government and Kenya Prison Services. The transfer marks the end of a five-year tenure by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders.
Located at Karuri Hospital in Kiambaa sub-county, Kiambu, the MAT clinic provides medical substitutes for opioids such as heroin, significantly reducing related health risks and deaths. “The MAT clinics are a one-stop medical facilities approach, with a holistic approach to treatment beyond opioid substitution,” said Dr. Edi Atte, MSF Country Director in Kenya.
The clinic’s services extend beyond opioid substitution therapy to include the prevention of infections and transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis, often caused by using unsterile needles. It also addresses the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis (TB), offers mental health and psychosocial support, and provides reintegration support with family and community.
Kiambu is one of the counties in Kenya with the highest number of people who use drugs (PWUDs), especially heroin. The most affected sub-counties include Kiambaa, Juja, Thika, and Kikuyu. The clinic, situated within the precincts of Karuri Level 4 Hospital in Banana ward, aims to bring treatment closer to patients’ homes, enhancing adherence to the rehabilitation process.
“The harm reduction approach aims at reducing negative health, social, legal, and financial consequences of drug addiction,” Atte explained. To support social reintegration and economic self-reliance, the clinic ensures that stable patients, whether in school or working, receive up to two weeks of dosage. For those unable to access daily doses due to reasons such as illness or school, daily home or hospital deliveries are facilitated through peer educators. The doses are securely packaged and locked in a box for safe keeping at home for those who cannot visit the clinic daily.
Since its establishment, the clinic has benefitted 1,619 PWUDs, with 556 currently receiving care. The first patients were enrolled in September 2019 by MSF from Belgium.
Dr. Atte also announced the handover of two additional MAT clinics to Kenya Prison Services, located at Ruiru Prisons Staff Training College Health Centre and Thika GK Prison. These clinics serve both incarcerated patients and those from the surrounding communities.
Ahead of the handover, healthcare workers were trained, and the County Department of Health Services, along with the Prisons, committed to continue providing these vital services. “We have healthcare workers who now have the knowledge on patient care and management of the clinic,” said Dr. Elias Maina, County Executive Committee Member for Health. “We acknowledge that the MAT services are still crucial for the patients from Kiambu, and for that reason, we will continue with the services even after MSF exit.”