Over emphasis on Covid-19 could derail fight against HIV, Kisumu County warns
Maisha Orphans and Widows organisation founder Beatrice Williamson addresses a congregation during world Aids Day Celebrations at Maisha Academy in Kisumu on December 1, 2020.
What you need to know:
- They county lauded the support of the national government and other partners in helping to bring down the HIV prevalence.
Kisumu County government has warned that over emphasis on Covid-19 could derail the fight against HIV/Aids.
While acknowledging that the lakeside city has experienced a surge in Covid-19 outbreak, County Public Health Director Fred Oluoch said that residents are lowering the bar on prevention and control of Hiv/Aids.
“The fact that teenage pregnancies are on the rise is a testimony that people are not using condoms,” he said during the celebration of 32nd World Aids Day at Maisha Project Grounds in Kisumu East Sub County on Tuesday.
He said that the county’s HIV prevalence currently stands at 17.5 per cent while Covid-19 positivity rate is 12.9 per cent.
“Despite registering a consistent decrease in new HIV infections for the last one decade, the HIV and Covid-19 pandemics remain serious public health challenges,” he noted.
They county lauded the support of the national government and other partners in helping to bring down the HIV prevalence.
In particular, he cited Maisha Orphans and Widows programme as a critical initiative which has significantly helped in educating, empowering and curbing cases of HIV in the area.
The programme, which seeks to empower locals as a way of transforming their communities, targets households headed by children following the death of their parents to HIV pandemic.
“As a person who has experienced the suffering of my close relatives due to HIV, I started a small initiative that has today grown to support over 1,000 children through various schools and colleges,” said the founder and director of Maisha Projects Beatrice Williamson.
“My family was kind enough to donate over five acres of land where we have built Maisha Academy that has admitted over 300 pupils from kindergarten to Class Eight.
She has managed to sustain the programme through the support and donations of friends by conducting annual fundraisings among other activities.
Other than scholarships and health services, Ms Williamson indicated that they also offer soft loans to vulnerable people who are interested in starting up businesses.
In order to keep HIV and Covid-19 at bay, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o reiterated that the county will prioritise resource mobilization through Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
