As the country commemorated this year’s world aids day on Thursday, Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Dr. Eddyson Nyale has urged residents to support the government in fighting new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and the gender-based violence which are the key factors identified as promoting the spread of HIV/AIDS.
While launching this year’s 34th, world AIDS day celebrations in Eldoret, Dr. Nyale pointed out that there is need to reach out to the grassroots to sensitize the public on the need to fight the global pandemic.
“The government through National Syndemic Diseases Control Council and other partners, plans to combat the pandemic by addressing key triple threats which include new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence, I invite all of us to go down to the communities to sensitize them on the HIV prevention and treatment,” urged Dr. Nyale.
National Syndemic Diseases Control Council head of Performance Management Edwin Kimutai reiterated the need to prevent new HIV infections through carrying out sensitization campaigns among the youth.
He said the government has put sufficient health structures across the country to help in the treatment and management of HIV/AIDS.
“The threat we are facing now as a country is the triple threat, we want to reduce new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and sexual gender-based violence cases, those are the key areas that accelerate the rate of HIV infections in the country,” said Kimutai.
The County Director of Clinical Services, Dr. Donald Rotich said the devolved unit is committed to support the national government to end the pandemic by the year 2030 through streamlining health services provision in the county and reaching out to the communities in the grassroots to ensure reduced cases of new HIV infections.
“Currently we have over 138 health facilities across the county and are constructing a level 5 hospital in Ziwa, a level 4 hospital in Kesses, as well as equipping laboratories in Huruma. We want to ensure that people access quality health services wherever they are,” said Dr. Rotich.
He noted that the county government is partnering with various partners including USAID in the management and treatment of HIV pandemic through provision of medical supplies and counselling services.
The County Director of Clinical services hinted on rolling out school health programmes to ensure youth from the primary, secondary, up to universities acquire skills regarding their health as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned.
The county has witnessed increased HIV infections among the youth necessitating the need for the local health department to call for collaborative efforts to address the challenge.
In her remarks USAID AMPATH UZIMA Deputy Chief of Party Dr. Beatrice Jakait, pointed out that they are concerned with the management of HIV infection from identification, treatment, ensuring viral load suppression and prevention of Mother to Child HIV transmission.
“I encourage those on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) to know their HIV status and those already on treatment to keep on taking drugs because people become virally suppressed if they take drugs,” said Dr. Jakait.
Jakait urged the community not to discriminate against those living with HIV but rather support them.
According to statistics from the County AIDS and STIs Control Officer (CASCO), Ms Lilian Simatwa, over 20 per cent of the total 35.1 percent pregnancy rate in the county involve teenagers.
Moreover 44,838 are living with HIV out of which 41,323 are on treatment. “There is a bigger population that has to be identified, we are at 92 per cent, ideally we are supposed to be at 95 percent; that is the 95/95/95 which means 95 percent of the identified, 95 on treatment and 95 ensuring those on treatment are virally suppressed,” noted Simatwa.
On her part the county reproductive health officer Hellen Siria observed that teenage pregnancies in the region was soaring by the day and informed that female teenagers are at high risk of contracting HIV and other STIs like Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and other related health complications at early age.
“As the government, agencies and all stakeholders, we need to raise awareness to prevent HIV and teenage pregnancies. If we are preventing early pregnancies, we are also preventing HIV/AIDS infections. If female teenagers are exposed that means even their male counterparts are not left out,” said Siria.
