Sensitization still vital in war against HIV/AIDS

Ever since the first case of HIV/AIDS was reported in the country in 1984, the killer disease has claimed many lives, made orphans and widows, and divided families.

The discovery of Anti-Retroviral medication has, undoubtedly, been game-changing but as the World marks World AIDS day on Wednesday, cases of HIV/AIDS infections among youth in the country, are on an upward trajectory and forecasted to increase even further.

According to Nakuru County CEC Health Dr. Gichuhi Kariuki, the surge in new infections can be lessened if youth are properly sensitized on the matter at both the national and county government levels.

“Our biggest problem is sensitization, especially our young girls; on reproductive health matters and issues to do with HIV transmission and also gender-based violence, to everyone who is in society. We would want to look at the national policy and insist that we create more awareness,” Kariuki said in a panel interview on Citizen TV’s News night show.

With Nakuru County set to be the official grounds where World AIDS day will be marked in Kenya, the CEC believes that most youths are unaware of or are disregarding some of the drivers that lead to new infections, as such they have a high likelihood of them getting infected.

“We should look at some of the major drivers especially what was said like poverty. Around that teenage age is good, especially for girls,” he said.

Viona Juma, a single mother, grew up in abject poverty. Her parents died when she was barely of age and she was left in the care of her aging grandmother who could barely fend for herself.

At the tender age of seventeen, she became pregnant but the child’s sire abandoned the two, never to be seen again.

As luck would have it, Viona would, later on, meet a more responsible young man, who was willing to provide for her and her child and things started to look up for the first time in her life.

Misfortune sadly struck and her partner passed away suddenly, leaving her in her initial predicament. With mouths to feed and no other option left, Viona was forced to become a sex worker and it is in this line of work that she contracted HIV.

Speaking as part of the panel, Viona expressed how she couldn’t recall how she actually contracted the disease.

A lack of sensitization and her social status, she says, contributed greatly to her contracting the disease.

On his part, Pastor Mulinge Muteso underscored that proper sensitization of youth will also address the stigmatization of persons living with HIV/ AIDS.  

“There is a lot of stigmatization especially for religious leaders who are living with HIV because sometimes people see HIV as a moral issue, not a virus and that is not the case,” he said.