By Wilfridah Murenga
The HIV Service Delivery Integration Summit has entered its second day in Mombasa with a resounding call to action from key speakers to eradicate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
This crucial discussion aligns with the targets set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.
The four-day conference, organized by National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCOP) in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, commenced with a virtual opening address by Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha on Tuesday.
Speaking on the second day of the summit, Dr. Rose Wafula, Head of NASCOP, emphasized the ongoing leadership in HIV and AIDS through policy and guideline formulation.
She noted that the Kenya Plan to End AIDS in Children by 2027 underscores strategies aimed at halting the spread of new HIV infections among children and eradicating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
The objective of the plan is to fill the gaps in HIV and AIDS service provision, guaranteeing the implementation of optimal procedures in the treatment of expectant mothers and nursing mothers throughout Kenya.
Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Health Dr Gregory Gonda on the other hand emphasized the vital role of Community Health promoters (CHPs) in providing assistance to patients and alleviating the burden on HIV clinic nurses.
He also stressed the importance of CHPs in establishing trust and offering essential patient support, provided they have reasonable workloads supportive supervision and adequate training and supplies.
The summit featured distinguished speakers, including AMPATH Executive Director Professor Sylvester Kimaiyo, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) Dr Andrew Mulwa, National Health Promotion Officer at the World Health Organization Dr Christine Kisia who spoke on behalf of the Country Director Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo among others.
The goal of integration is to offer more thorough, convenient, and therefore more widely accepted, efficient, and cost-effective HIV and AIDS programs at all levels of service delivery, as needed.
The summit on its third day is placing emphasis on the prerequisites for effective integration of HIV services, encompassing various models and foundational elements.
“This morning, the HIV Service Delivery Integration Summit is discussing the requirements for successful HIV service integration, including models and building blocks. Sub-themes include “Durabini ya Science” on HIV cure, emerging therapies, clinical trials, and community pharmacy models for service integration,” state the Ministry of Health.