GIRLS HARD HIT BY HIV INFECTIONS

The girl-child from four counties in  the Nyanza region  has been most hard hit by HIV infections according to the latest statistics.

Addressing  women opinion leaders from four counties during a workshop on HIV,teenage pregnancies and  elimination of mother- to –child, health ministry cabinet secretary CS, Susan Mochache decried the prevalence rate.

According to the CS out of  900,000 HIV infections in the region,girls were 95,000 by the end  of last year and interventions to curb the spread were a far cry.

Mochache remarked the HIV continued to be an engendered and public health issue demanding a political solution  that was tailor made to  counties.

Funding from the donor community had dwindled after Kenya was classified as a middle level economy, thus losing  an annual sh, 45billiion  worth of the support on purchase of  anti HIV supplies including ARVs.

She cited teenage pregnancies as one of the major HIV infections spread  mode when schools closed during the covid19 pandemic.

The workshop host governor James Ongwae echoed the Mochache’s sentiments the  on HIV status  revealing Kisii had   a total of 41,480  people living with the virus out of which close to 2,000 were children.

Lamenting that the statists were shocking,Ongwae,however,noted that the  prevalence rate had reduced to  4.9% from 8,5.% previously.

He announced his government’s  underway interventions  to intensify community sensitization and advocacy on the HIV.