HIV/AIDS
The Murang’a County Assembly on Tuesday adopted a report that proposed establishment of a special fund to manage HIV and tuberculosis.
Tabling the report, Chairperson of the Assembly’s Committee on Health Service Boniface Ng’ang’a urged the County Executive Committee Member for Health to prioritize publicizing the Murang’a County HIV/AIDS Bill 2024, which would provide a framework for the provision of a special fund for HIV and TB management in the county.
Ng’ang’a noted that key donors who fund HIV/AIDS programmes in the county would withdraw their donations in 2027 and the enactment of the bill would enable Murang’a County to be self-reliant after the donors’ exit.
“World Bank, CDC, and other NGOs that fund the HIV/AIDS programmes in the county will be withdrawing their donations in 2027. Approval of this Bill will lead to the development of HIV/AIDS Regulations to create a special fund for HIV and TB management in the County,” he said.
Ng’ang’a, who is also Muthithi MCA observed that while the overall prevalence of HIV in the county was relatively low, there were still pockets of concern.
“For example, Mathioya sub-county has a higher percent HIV prevalence rate of 3.5 percent compared to Kandara with lower rate of 1.3 percent,” he added while giving out details of the report that was seconded by Murarandia MCA Peter Munga, Supporting the report, Gatanga MCA John Kibaiya said that even though the HIV prevalence in the county was low, having separate desks for people living with HIV/AIDS in Level 4 Hospitals in the county promoted stigmatization.
Kibaiya called for an integration of persons living with HIV/AIDS into the normal healthcare system in Murang’a Level 4 Hospitals. “Most Level 4 Hospitals in Murang’a have an extra desk for people living with this disease. To erode the stigma associated with the disease, HIV/AIDS treatment should be integrated into the regular healthcare provision mechanisms,” he stated.
Kibaiya also noted that there has been women’s migration into tea zone areas where farmers were currently receiving tea bonus payments. This, the MCA said, was among the drivers of the spread of HIV/AIDs in the county.
To stop the spread in these areas, Kahumbu MCA Chefman Njoroge said that the County Executive Committee needed to come up with educational programmes to teach farmers the importance of using protection during sex. “It is important that tea and coffee farmers in areas receiving bonuses be sensitized on the importance of having protected sex. It has been a trend for past years, when bonuses are being paid, some women flock to tea growing zones to deceive our men,” observed Njoroge.
He said that creating awareness would reduce HIV prevalence and the stigma associated with the disease, while also educating locals on the benefits of having protected sex.