Educate teenagers on HIV/Aids - First lady Margaret Kenyatta

First Lady Magret Kenyatta has raised concerns over new HIV/Aids infections among teenagers.

Margaret said though significant steps have been made to scale down infections across the country, it is not yet time to throw a champagne as infections among  adolescents and young mothers are still on the upward trajectory.

She said much still remains to be done in sustaining the gains already made in the fight against further infections in the country.

She stressed on the need for adolescents to be sensitized the more and help them make informed decisions touching on their sexuality.

“The primary focus in this war is to ensure the country is free of the virus by 2030. To achieve this, we need to recommit and double up efforts and resources to make our country safer and free of the virus," she said.

Margaret was speaking in Kisii County on Sunday during the International Aids Day.

She lauded community workers in the country saying they had been at the forefront in the battle for the country's success and their efforts should be appreciated.

The First Lady however said there is still the need for more resources to combat the pandemic in the face of the successes registered so far.

“The disease still remains a pressing issue in areas that lack proper access to health care and thus for more resources must be committed to it," Margaret.

She added, “Insufficient resources often place the burden on women who often bear the brunt of the disease infections”.

Margaret said strengthening the health systems remains central in the broad campaign to fight the disease which continues to ravage lives in thousands in the country annually.

"In the absence of determined efforts to sustain the war, the virus will fight back with relentless fury and continue decimating youth w are depended for national development,” she said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki said 31 years after the first HIV/Aids case was  detected in the country more has been done to combat the disease.

She said the disease prevalence has steadily climbed down from 30 percent in the 1980's to the current 4 percent.

Kariuki said new infections and deaths occasioned by the disease have significantly gone down, not just in Kenya alone but also globally.

"As a country we have a story to tell going by the statistics being gathered from our health facilities," she said.

Kariuki said already HIV/Aids transmission from mothers to unborn babies has been addressed by the application of advanced medical equipment.

She said the country will continue to increase resources in eradicating the disease.

Governor James Ongwae said his administration has set up a child and mother hospital which will play an important role in fighting the infections.

He however said lack of funding still continues to hamstring the fight against the pandemic.

He said currently more than 31000 patients up from 10,000 before devolution are being given ARV’s.