Day: June 15, 2024

The National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) has called for concerted efforts to tame increased HIV infections, especially among young people, with officials saying the new infections could increase the HIV burden in the country.

NSDCC Chairman Geoffrey Gitu, speaking at Kanyenyaini during a public engagement forum, called upon the community to come together to guide and protect young people from new HIV infections, early pregnancies, and gender-based violence (GBV).

‘We have to come together to protect all children from this Triple Threat they are facing,’ he said, adding that residents should take it upon themselves to correct any young person in the wrong and also inform their parents.

Gitu said a multi-sectoral approach will be employed to ensure locals get the right information and embrace the measures put in place to end new infections, teen pregnancies, and gender-based violence.

The chairman emphasised the urgency of addressing the triple threat, noting its detrimental impact on efforts
to end the HIV pandemic in Kenya.

He said the NSDCC identified sexually gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy as indicators of heightened risk of HIV infections.

NSDCC Head of County Support, Carol Kinoti, called upon parents to teach their children about safe sex and preventing teenage pregnancies.

Kinoti noted that open discussions on sexuality would help bring down the number of new infections among young people and prevent teenage pregnancies.

She also called upon parents and guardians to ensure teenage mothers went back to school to acquire an education after giving birth.

‘Taking teenage mothers back to school is also a way of ensuring they get their lives back on track and they do not get more pregnancies,’ she said, adding that continuing with education also ensures they do not end up in early marriages.

Mwangangi Mwania, who was representing the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, cautioned the teenagers against early sex, saying it exposes them to early pregnancies and HIV
as well as GBV.

He further asked parents to closely monitor what content children are exposed to because it influences their behaviour.

‘Children have to be closely monitored because they could be exposed to many different things on the internet, and parents must guide them so that the children do not get confused,’ Mwania said.

He further asked the community to ensure that people arrested for GBV-related cases are prosecuted according to the law and cautioned them against protecting perpetrators at the expense of the victims.

‘The Ministry has helped save many girls from early marriages and ensured the prosecution of numerous culprits of GBV and those responsible for teen pregnancies,’ he said.

Kangema DCC, Esther Mwamure, also echoed the sentiments of the other speakers and said that cases relating to GBV should be dealt with appropriately and according to the law.

Mwamure called for open dialogue around the triple threat and asked residents to get tested and adhere to treatment so as to reduce new in
fections.

‘Young people in the county should go for HIV testing and counselling as a way to help end new infections,’ the DCC said.

She also called for those involved in the fight against alcohol and drug abuse to remain vigilant, as abuse of drugs and substances also contributes to new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and GBV.

To end the triple threat, the council is working with respective partners like local administrators and health workers to disseminate information at the community level on preventive measures and support those in need of services.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Cabinet secretary for health Susan Nakhumicha has called on the elected and administrative leadership in Marsabit County to carry out a campaign on social health registration among residents amid challenges facing the process.

Nakhumicha said the piloting of the registration was ongoing in order to identify hitches that could clog up the transition from the national health insurance fund (NHIF) to social health insurance fund (SHIF) set for next month.

Speaking in Marsabit when she presided over this year’s World Blood Donor’s Day celebrations, the CS asked the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) to join hands with the local leadership headed by Governor Mohamud Ali in sensitising wananchi on the importance of registering with the new health programme.

Nakhumicha, who also visited Dakabaricha village in the outskirts of Marsabit town to assess the piloting of the social health registration, noted that the procedure was faced with a number of challenges that needed to be addressed as a ma
tter of urgency.

Among the challenges that were identified at Waqo Jarso’s household was the lack of identity cards among locals who were previously required to undergo vetting before being issued with the all-important document.

Other drawbacks detected include lack of marriage certificates as many of locals wed traditionally, which does not undergo documentation, poor or lack of internet connectivity, and the fact that many villagers also do not own mobile phones.

The cabinet secretary asked NGAO to advance the issuance of identity cards in order to enable residents to register without any hindrances, as those who fail to join the new regime will not be able to access health care services.

She disclosed that her ministry was working closely with the internet provider, Safaricom to improve connectivity in the remote areas, while community health promoters will be tasked with registering those without cell phones.

To assist the locals in meeting the marriage certificate requirement, the CS asked chiefs t
o draft notes for those affected certifying their marital status in order to enable them to enrol in SHIF.

On blood donation, Nakhumicha called on Kenyans to continue supporting the drive, which she said assists in saving and prolonging the lives of the sick and accident victims.

The CS who was accompanied by the first daughter Charlene Ruto, acting director general for health Dr. Patrick Amoth, and social health authority (SHA) chairman Dr. Timothy Olweny underscored the importance of functional blood banks in the country saying they were crucial for the effective delivery of health care services.

The cabinet secretary hinted at plans to have the newly established Marsabit Kenya medical training campus start a nursing course by September this year.

In his remarks, Governor Ali said his administration was keen on offering quality health services to the people of Marsabit, adding that the modernization of facilities was ongoing.

The drive saw over 350 pints of blood donated in the past three days.

Sourc
e: Kenya News Agency

The county government of Kisumu has secured a public-private partnership (PPP) with investors from India to set up a sickle cell specialist hospital.

Through the arrangement, specialists from India will give technical support to the county department of health to set up the facility at Victoria Hospital in Milimani.

The County Executive for Medical Services, Public Health, and Sanitation, Dr. Gregory Ganda, said the move will see Kisumu become the first county with such a facility in Kenya to give impetus to the fight against the blood disorder.

Once completed, the facility will have a centre for haematological disorders, offering cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) and haemophilia, which have plagued the country for many years.

The facility will also offer bone marrow transplants, in addition to conducting research to help in the management of haematological diseases.

Dr. Ganda said this was in response to the rising number of SCD cases in the country, with counties surrou
nding Lake Victoria and the coastal region bearing the greatest burden of the disease.

In Kenya, it is estimated that 14,000 children are born annually with the disease, with 50-90% of them dying before their fifth birthday.

In Kisumu County, where 20,000 children are born annually, 500 of them succumb to the disease within five years.

In an interview with KNA during the Scientific Conference on Sickle Cell Disease and Haemophilia held in Kisumu, Dr. Ganda said infant screening holds the key to containing the disease.

As a result, the county government of Kisumu, with support from partners, has opened a sickle cell clinic and rolled out infant screening at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).

‘We have installed an ultra-modern machine for testing Sickle Cell at JOOTRH, which is the first one of its kind in the country,’ he said.

The data from the facility indicates a 1.5% prevalence of the disease in the area.

‘Since this is a hereditary disease, it is important to screen
early so that as a child grows, the sickle cell trait is known. At the same time, people are also informed that if they marry a person with the same train, it will result in full-blown sickle cell disease,’ he said.

Another clinic has also been opened at Pap Onditi in Nyakach Sub-County, while several other clinics are lined up to scale up testing.

‘We are working to develop a comprehensive sickle cell programme all the way from screening, diagnosis, treatment, and bone marrow transplant,’ said Dr. Ganda.

Source: Kenya News Agency