Moi Referral, USAid in 1.4 billion Aids project

The US government yesterday launched a Sh1.4 billion new funding for a HIV/Aids project for 152,000 patients at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. The USAid-AMPATH Plus project was officially commissioned by Higher Education Minister Prof Margaret Kamar who said the  project has given hope to thousands of people who have died because of the disease. "We appreciate the support we have received from the US people and as a country, we have seen what this project has done for us," said Kamar.

MTRH director John Kibosia said the funds are from the US president's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief. The new AMPATH plus project will run for five years after which USAid will pull out of the programme which it has been supporting for almost a decade. ''The money will be used to benefit patients in the Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza regions,'' said Kibosia, adding that it will benefit 19 health centre in the region.

He said the funds will be available from September to support HIV/Aids treatment for the more than 152,000 people under the Academic Model for Treatment of HIV/Aids Programme at the hospital. "We will be enhance our handling of HIV/Aids programmes in this region through the support given by USAid for the project," said Kibosia. AMPATH has been carrying out anti-HIV/Aids support and treatment activities in Western Kenya for the last decade with support from the USAid and other donors.

The hospital plans to take over and sustain the AMPATH project after expiry of the funding period. Moi University and Indiana University area also involved in research activities on the disease as part of the project. The project has opened more than 14 outreach centres at strategic locations in the area.

Some of the centers are at Turbo, Iten, Mosoriot, Webuye, Kapengura, Chulaimbo and Busia, among other areas. Most of the activities are coordinated at AMPATH Centre which is located at the Moi Referral Hospital.Present at the function were the Chief of Party for the Project, Dr Sylvester Kimaiyo, Eldoret East DC Charles Mukele and Moi University Vice Chancellor Prof Richard Mibei, Director of Medical Services Francis Kimani and USAid representative Robert Einterz. Kamar said the project has helped to improve research activities on Hiv Aids with more than 100 research programmes going on currently. Kibosia said the hospital was set to launch several milestone projects which will help to improve health care for residents of the region.