- Kisumu Lead HIV Mentorship Officer Dorothy Oketch revealed that they were more concerned about high adolescent infections.
- Under programmes like Dreams, adolescent girls and young women are able to access a prevention service.
Image: FILE
She is one of a kind. A young woman who demonstrated she has the wherewithal to make hard decisions in life.
FA who opted to take an HIV test even as her contemporaries shied away.
Talk of flying with the eagles, not walking with the chicken.
For this action FA deserves a pat on the back as she joins millions of others globally in the fight against HIV/AIDS by presenting women with options of testing for the pandemic.
Despite her bold step, FA’s heart raced even as she contemplated what the result would be. Happily, she was negative and put the entire episode behind her.
The woman made the hard decision when community health volunteers came calling for door-to-door HIV sensitization in Kisumu county.
FA took another test to be sure of her status after three months as advised by health experts. The second test was also negative.
“I took the oral HIV self-testing as it was more convenient for me since I felt worried that if someone who knows me took it, then they would share with the public my private health status,” FA told journalists drawn from the Media for Environment, Science, Health & Agriculture (MESHA) during a science café in Kisumu.
FA explained that she preferred to be tested by someone not known to her, or to visit a health facility located far away from home.
Now FA is a community role model and teacher to girls.
She has embarked on a mission to reach out to people in her area to encourage them to take a HIV test to know their health status.
She has become a peer educator to her customers who fear telling their parents of their status for fear of reprisals.
Kisumu Lead HIV Mentorship Officer Dorothy Oketch revealed that they were more concerned about high adolescent infections, and they are working to ensure those infected are identified in good time and put on ARV treatment.
Oketch said HIV prevalence in Kisumu stood at 17.5 per cent. The county is second nationally only to Homa Bay, with 19.6 per cent. Siaya and Migori follow with 15.3 and 13 per cent respectively.
"In terms of our National Testing Algorithm achievements in line with the WHO goals, Kenya has made tremendous progress of: 92 – 95 – 100% for: Viral suppression – Initiated on ARVs -those Linked to Health facilities compared to WHO set standard of: 95 – 95 – 95 for all countries by 2030,” Oketch explained.
She pointed out that adolescents are having numerous challenges, and to assist them they are closely working with the Education ministry to run school programmes, conduct health talks and bring them up-to-speed in terms of HIV prevention.
Under programmes like Dreams, adolescent girls and young women are able to access a prevention service that helps protect them from contracting HIV.
Oketch said some of the challenges they face in the county include male identification, which continues to record low numbers as they are not willing to come out for HIV testing in the health facilities as fast as the women.
She said Kisumu county has 124, 645 people living with HIV.
“We are urging men to come out to be tested in the facilities and even in the communities so as to enable them know their HIV status and start ARVs therapy as soon as possible,” Oketch said during the 67th MESHA science café for journalists in Kisumu. The forum was also graced by MESHA CEO Daniel Aghan among other top officials.
Another area of concern Oketch identified is when infected adolescents don’t achieve viral suppression because of the risky behaviour they engage in and some of the issues hindering them from taking ARVs.
To adequately address this, she confirmed that the county government and Ministry of Education have set up Adolescent Operation Triple Zero Clubs, where they conduct quarterly meetings for experience sharing and the adolescents are educated on adherence to medication to achieve viral suppression.
On prevention of mother-to-child transmissions, Oketch urged mothers to come out early to health facilities for antenatal profiles and during ANC services they are able to access HIV testing.
“Once we test the mothers, if they turn positive then that is the early identification where we shall be able to avert some of the HIV negative fast turning to positive,” she said.
Oketch revealed that they also mop out such cases using CHVs able to identify them early when they are expectant so as to receive the requisite services in good time.
She stated that home deliveries are another possible route for HIV transmissions to the babies, and encouraged mothers to ensure they give birth in health facilities under the watchful eyes of skilled personnel.
She said some of the tested mothers declined ARTs, terming this as unfortunate to unborn babies and newborns for mothers attending postnatal clinics.
Despite these challenges, Oketch said they have been able to record a viral suppression of up to 95 per cent for postnatal mothers who are breastfeeding and ante-natal mothers who are still pregnant.
As a county, they are exerting more efforts and strategies until such a time Kisumu will achieve zero baby turning positive.
Oketch lauded the national self-testing initiative commenced in 2018 as it has improved in terms of identification and especially the low male identification, which has seen an upward trajectory from 75 to almost 85 per cent.
The county has been able to adequately distribute testing kits in most informal workplaces like jua kali set-ups, boda-bodas, commercial sex workers, which hasgreatly helped them penetrate those who have not been able to test themselves in the facilities.
Whether Kisumu will finally attain the 95 – 95 – 95 requirements as set out by the WHO is a matter of time. The jury is still out. However, it's kudos to the health team for having done a wonderful job thus far.