West Pokot is celebrating the reduction of HIV transmission from mothers to new- born babies.
West Pokot is celebrating: HIV transmission from mothers to new born babies has reduced in a concerted war against the disease.
Only 16 out of 515 children born in the last 12 months carry the virus from their mothers. Further HIV prevalence rate has reduced from 1.8 per cent in 2017 to 1.6 per cent last year.
A Ministry of Health report says 6,000 mothers live with the virus.
The figures were released on Thursday at an event organised by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with Ampath Plus to celebrate the successes of Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission (EMTCT) in Kapenguria.
Fifty children were born HIV negative by positive mothers who were celebrated.
County First Lady Mary Lonyangapuo said stigma and discrimination were the major challenges in fighting HIV because those infected were perceived as bad omen.
She asked residents to get tested and to be champions in the fight against the scourge. “People should accept their status. Many people have no ability to come out in public despite being HIV positive. It’s better for one to come out so that they can get help,” Lonyangapuo.
She urged both county and national governments to involve those living with the virus in development programmes.
Health executive Geoffrey Lipale said that they have put in place measures to reduce HIV prevalence. "The county is improving," Lipale said.
He said pastoralists herd their livestock in both Kenya and Uganda were a challenge in the management of HIV.
“Many move and forget to take ARVs. We have made an agreement with Uganda and health workers to follow them and give them treatment,” he said.
Health promotion services chief officer Edna Krop also encouraged residents to get tested. She asked mothers to ensure they deliver in hospitals.
Ampath Plus deputy chief Beatrice Ejakait said the programme integrates zero infections and zero discrimination. This involves advising mothers on nutrition, self-disclosure as well as advice on how to ensure children are not infected despite their mothers' positive status.
"The work is done through a network of caregivers and mother-to-mother support groups which result in positive indicators," Dr Ejakait said.