from: erasto agwanda

By Agwanda Jowi.

The Government through the National Aids Control Council (NACC) is set to establish Voluntary and Counseling and Testing Centers (VCT) in all the Constituencies in Nyanza Province in an effort to curb the escalating HIV/Aids prevalence rate.

According to the National Aids Control Council (NACC) Nyanza Provincial field officer on HIV/Aids Mr. Edwin Lwanya, the centers are to be established in remote areas at a total cost of 103.2 million shillings following concern that HIV/Aids prevalence rate in the region were on the rise.

Mr. Lwanya said each of the 32 constituencies would receive 3.2 million shillings under the programme in an effort to ensure the essential services are availed to the rural folk.

Speaking to KNA in his office in Kisumu, he Field Officer said the National Aids Control Council has allocated another 29.4 million shillings under the Total War Against Aids(TOWA) round three porgramme to fund Non-Governmental Organization and Community Based Organization in all the districts in the province.

The Official expressed concern over the escalating HIV/Aids prevalence rate that has increased from 14.5% in 2008 to current rate of 14.9%.

“The Government has put new strategies to curb the increase by initiating new intervention strategies” he said.

Mr. Lwanya said negative attitude towards use of condoms, high poverty levels that leads to prostitution especially along the fishing beaches among the fishing mongers and ignorance about the use of Anti-retroviral (ARVs) have contributed immensely to the increase in HIV/Aids infection rate.

He said HIV/Aids prevalence rate was highest along the beaches given that women involved in the business are asked for sex favors by fishermen.

“It has also emerged that some people in the region are engaging in casual sex believing that the use of ARVs would prevent them from getting infected, which is not true” he added.

He said among the measures being implemented include training of fish mongers to establish entrepreneurship so that they are not vulnerable.

“The Government is also microfinance the women fish mongers so that they do not rely solely on men to earn a living.

He said the district that were being targeted are those bordering Lake Victoria and include Bondo, Rarieda, Kisumu East and West, Homabay, Suba and Rachuonyo.

He said other moves include behavior change communication and education (BCCE) to fishermen and truck drivers, considered to be the most at risk groups.

Another strategy the NACC is using is the male medical circumcision that has since seen over 90,000 males circumcised since September 2008 when the initiative was launched by the Prime Minister Mr. Raila Odinga.

Among organizations involved in fight against the pandemic in the province include Aphia 2 Nyanza, Amref, Nyanza Productive health, and World Vision.

ENDS…