Nakuru recorded 4000 new HIV infections in the past year

Guests attend World Aids Day 2015 celebrations at Nyayo Gardens in Nakuru on December 1, 2015. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Statistics released by the National Aids Control Council (NACC) during celebrations to mark the World Aids Day put the total number of people living with HIV in the County at 66,000, out of which the 4,000 are new infections for the year.
  • NACC Regional Coordinator Mr Hillary Chepsiror attributed the high infection rates in the county to the fact that Nakuru is a major stop over point for many travelling on the Nairobi- Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

More than 4,000 people in Nakuru County have been infected with HIV in the past one year, a majority of them the youth.

Statistics released by the National Aids Control Council (NACC) during celebrations to mark the World Aids Day put the total number of people living with HIV in the County at 66,000, out of which the 4,000 are new infections for the year.

NACC Regional Coordinator Mr Hillary Chepsiror attributed the high infection rates in the county to the fact that Nakuru is a major stop over point for many travelling on the Nairobi- Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

He said the highway had contributed to a high number of truck drivers and commercial sex workers operating in the town.

“Nakuru being a commercial town has seen a lot of business which include tourism and commercial sex work. This has seen the growth in population thus the high number of infections,” he said.

The biggest percentage of the infection was among the young and the youth, between nine and 35 years, according to the official.

Speaking in Nakuru during the World Aids Day celebrations at Nyayo Gardens, Mr Chepsiror said of the new infections countrywide, 29 per cent are among youth.

The Coordinator noted that sexual gender based violence remains a challenge and a major contributor to the fresh infections, adding that women are the most affected.

He noted that NACC had launched a five year strategic plan to address the matter, with the main focus on women and the youth.

“This will ensure that youth and the women access these services especially the prenatal care that will help prevent the mother-child infection,” he said.

He pointed out that there was need for expectant mothers to seek prenatal care services which will help curb the infection which occurs mostly during birth.