•She said the government can’t solve the issue alone but can sensitise citizens on the same.
•The PS said the fight would only be won if Kenyans were responsible.
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache has called on Kenyans to unite and address HIV infections, pregnancies and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence among adolescents.
The PS said the three vices were a threat to the nation, especially the youth.
“This is a societal issue and to succeed in fighting the three vices, we need to talk about them openly,” Mochache said.
She said the government can’t solve the issue alone but can sensitise citizens on the same.
The PS said the fight would only be won if Kenyans were responsible.
She said it was unfortunate that the country was losing 5,000 young people every year due to HIV and young people were victims of circumstances such as rape.
“Things are not going in the right direction because our youth who form 75 per cent of our population is under threat,” Mochache said in Meru.
She said Meru county has tried in reducing infections of the disease from 1,500 in 2016 to an average of 635 people per year but the number of people under Antiretroviral drugs was still high.
Mochache said the government was previously taking care of 15,000 HIV patients but this has increased to 20,700 people.
“Even if we have made a step forward, we still have a problem because taking care of such people costs a lot of money,” she said.
Mochache said Kenya at the moment was using Sh25.4 billion every year to cater for the drugs, testing, and money that could have done some other development work.
“If we don’t try to reduce the cost of health in the country, then we will not be able to carry out other development programmes,” she said.
The PS said 14 young people are infected daily saying there is a need to have a discourse about the issue to avoid having the epidemic throughout our lifetime.
Meru is currently at 38 per cent of teenage pregnancies while between January and May this year, 15,000 young people were victims of early pregnancy.
National Aids Control Council director, Ruth Laibon, said the county’s statistics were not pleasing but said the issues can be resolved if there was unity.
“We will ensure the infected children are taken to hospital, end early pregnancies and ensure there are no new HIV infections amongst our youth,” Laibon said.
She called on the residents to stop hiding the problems facing them including covering up those misleading young children.
Governor Kiraitu Murungi said there was a need to be serious and invest more resources in the fight and intensive training, especially focusing on the youth.
He thanked chiefs, especially Igembe and Tigania for being at the forefront in ensuring perpetrators were arrested, especially in the issue of early pregnancies.
He said the collaboration between the chiefs, the Njuri Ncheke and the Community Health Volunteers, and members of the public was bearing fruits.
“I am embarrassed when I hear we are leading in cases of teenage pregnancies,” Kiraitu said.
He called on chiefs to be strict and not to allow the traditional justice system to be applied in serious cases such as rape.
He promised to settle the CHVs arrears and secure health covers to facilitate smooth operations against the vices.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris