Machakos county recorded 1,027 new HIV infections in the past year, Health CEC Ancient Kituku said.
During the World Aids Day on Tuesday, it was revealed that Machakos had an HIV prevalence of 3.3 per cent compared to the national average of 4.9 per cent.
Kituku said the county has registered 36, 406 people infected with HIV and that last year 530 people died due to HIV complications.
“We have to take action to be able to minimise the infections because the numbers are very high and need to be lowered," he said.
Speaking to the Star at the Machakos Level 5 Hospital, Kituku said women are leading with 5.8 per cent infection rate while men follow with 3.1 per cent nationally.
He said women were at a greater risk of getting infected with the disease.
“Women are leading at a high risk of getting infected with HIV due to the society's nature and also other factors like gender-based violence, rape and defilement among others,” Kituku said.
“Gender-based violence is suspected to have contributed in increasing the infections and other crimes like rape and defilement. Chiefs and the authorities need to monitor these people and make sure our girls are protected,” he said.
Kituku said the nation was losing people of productive age as youths and young adults lead inHIV infections at 63 per cent.
He said the youth need understanding and counselling.
“As a way of encouraging counselling, the county has launched a technology program known as tele-counselling where teenagers will access free counselling through text messages and WhatsApp, interact with experts and share their issues,” Kituku said.
He said the decision was reached by the Machakos Health department after more than 4,000 schoolgirls got pregnant between January and May this year.
Kituku said the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to increasing numbers of HIV infections and teen pregnancies and warned men who were prey on schoolgirls.
“Covid-19 has brought about challenges like domestic violence due to loss of jobs. People are now idle, with schoolgirls being at risk of being manipulated by men who end up infecting them with HIV,” he said.
Kituku urged residents to volunteer for HIV testing to know their status.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
