The Health ministry yesterday announced plans
to introduce a HIV self-test kit to enable users
determine their status at their convenience. Director of medical services Nicholas Muraguri
said the kit will help users test themselves using
saliva and seek medication if positive. He, however, said the patient will have to
undergo a confirmation test at the clinic before
starting treatment. There are four types of kits undergoing
evaluation and the government is yet to identify
a distributor. Muraguri did not disclose the cost of a single kit. He said the government wants to identify at least
90 per cent of people living with HIV and put
them on medication. “We are going to launch a door-to-door HIV test
campaign in Homa Bay, Kisumu and Nairobi
counties to make HIV care services available,”
Muraguri said. He said the three counties lead in HIV prevalence
and the campaign is aimed at reaching out to all
people to ensure they know their status. Muraguri said the Kenya Aids indicator survey
report shows 53 per cent of HIV-infected persons
are unaware of their status. “Only 850,000 people living with HIV are
currently on ARV therapy,” he said. This represents 60 per cent of estimated people
living with HIV in the country based on the 2014
estimates. Muraguri said there are an estimated 180, 000
children living with HIV but only half of them are
under treatment. “Parents keep the children home fearing
stigmatisation. Many of them die before their
second birthday,” he said. Muraguri spoke at the Weston Hotel, Nairobi,
during the launch of policy and guidelines for
accelerating HIV care and treatment. The ministry met senior county health officials to
launch the strategy codenamed 90-90-90. The strategy aims at ensuring 90 per cent of all
those infected with HIV know their status, those
who know they are HIV positive are linked to
care and treatment and are retained in care. National Aids and STIs Control Programme
director Martin Sirengo said the agency is
lowering the HIV testing age from 18 to 15
because children are increasingly becoming
sexually active.
sasa DF itapanda sababu malaya watakua wanapimana kwa room na clients kama iko negative ni kurukiana, usianze kuwaambia mambo ya incubation period
“has announced plans to” is not the same as “launches”. premature …
Wakenya na biz wanoma. Hawker atakushow ile anauza hautahitaji kungoja incubation period.
Ile kitu nimesoma hapo ni Weston Hotel
Hiv test kit or Aids test kit?
Can you test for Aids?
The test kit has been piloted in several counties. It will be launched countrywide soon. It is also meant to increase male partner testing (because a large percentage of women get tested during ANC while most men do not).
This is bullshit. The counselling session before that test is of utmost importance. Smells like a plan to eat some more to me.
I concur. Although dryfry will gain new mileage once this is done
dry fly haiezi isha, today guys are thinking about cancer ambae hawajui niyawapi, it can be ya kucha na bado unaenda.
life is short
what is to be must be