Murang’a County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of health Dr Fredrick Mbugua, led the county World Aids day celebrations on December 1 calling for the end of new HIV infections among the youth, teenage pregnancies and sexual gender based violence which he called the triple threat.
Speaking at Kirwara market in Gatanga constituency, the CEC recognised the efforts of all HIV champions in reducing new infections and ensuring that those already infected were using their medication correctly.
The county currently has over 19,000 people living with HIV with over 17,500 of them on antiretroviral therapy.
This puts the county’s current prevalence rate at 2.4 percent which is a drop from 5.5 percent in 2013.
The county director of health, Dr Winnie Kanyi, lauded Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) for being the link between the health worker and the community when it comes to delivering access to HIV services at the grass root level.
World AIDS day is commemorated on December 1 every year to show support for people living with HIV, those affected and to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS.
The county also launched the Murang’a County Mental Health Action Plan 2022-2025.
Speaking during the launch the County Psychiatrist Dr James Mburu explained that the action plan was to seek support and funding toward mental health.
The doctor noted that it is time for the government and all stakeholders to prioritize mental health in terms of budget and awareness.
The doctor expresses concern that his department had so far assessed 40 suspects of murder and several cases of defilement this year alone saying the number indicates the need to prioritize mental health issues.
