Central records highest rate of HIV infection

• Cases have risen from 3.7 per cent five years ago to 4.7 per cent

The rate of HIV infection has been on a steady increase over the last five years in Central Province.

Infection rate stands at 4.7 per cent of the population, up from 3.7 per cent five years ago. This bucks the national trend where the infection rate has been falling annually.

Lack of condoms in public hospitals was one of the causes of the increase, according to Ms Fidelis Ndung’u, the Central regional population coordinator.

In Nyeri district, for instance, most government health facilities had run out of condoms.

Speaking in Nyahururu at a population workshop, Ms Ndung’u said the shortage had been caused by delays in procurement and delivery.

Vernacular radio stations were also named as a major barriers to family planning and use of protection during intercourse.

The stations were accused of encouraging women to give birth “for political reasons”.

The workshop cited a popular song by musician Epha Maina titled Kangi kamwe (Kikuyu for one more) which urges women to give birth to save the community from extinction in the wake of illicit brews consuming men.

Ms Ndung’u said the song reflects sentiments spread by religious leaders and politicians in the area that men were being rendered impotent by the brews.

However, the province leads nationally in contraception uptake, at 67 per cent.

The birth rate is the lowest in the country — at 3.4 per cent — while North Eastern has the highest, 5.9 per cent.

Western and Nyanza provinces recorded 5.6 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively. Rift Valley is fourth at 4.7, followed by Eastern at 4.4 per cent and Coast at 4.8 per cent.

Ms Ndung’u said her office was educating opinion leaders on the role of family planning in national development.

The project will also promote male involvement in family planning. Past campaigns have largely targeted women.