Aids: What went wrong?
What you need to know:
- However, entrenched habits do not seem to have changed, making many vulnerable to infections.
- The new figures are a wake-up call that the war is far from over.
- This is time to go back to the basics and mount aggressive campaigns and mobilise resources to fight the scourge.
Just a few years ago, Kenya was reporting impressive advances in the fight against HIV, with spectacular reductions in new infections and proper management of existing cases.
However, the latest global figures provide grim reading, with the revelation that Kenya has the fourth highest number of new infections, meaning a reversal of the gains realised in the past.
The earlier success story resulted from the aggressive campaigns mounted, including public education and resource mobilisation to cushion those living with the virus. But the fire seems to have gone out.
At this point in time, the assumption is that the public is aware of the causes of HIV/Aids and therefore ways and means of preventing it. Moreover, anti-retrovirals are available to sustain those infected. So are the structures to provide care at home and at the workplace.
However, entrenched habits do not seem to have changed, making many vulnerable to infections.
The new figures are a wake-up call that the war is far from over. This is the time to go back to the basics and mount aggressive campaigns and mobilise resources to fight the scourge.
