Kenya: NACC, Counties in Joint HIV-Aids Fight

THE National Aids Control Council will incorporate the county governments in the new National HIV Strategic Framework to fight the spread of HIV-Aids. The new framework seeks to work with the counties to help fund the HIV-Aids prevention programmes. NACC yesterday said there have been financial challenges in the fight against HIV-Aids so counties should come up with budgetary allocation for HIV programmes. In recent months, Kenya has been facing a shortage of HIV testing kits because many programmes are donor-funded and some no longer exist. NACC Coast regional coordinator Julius Koome said county governments must work with the national government in ensuring funds are set aside for HIV-Aids prevention projects. "We are talking with the counties to ensure a certain percentage of budgetary allocation is channeled towards the HIV-Aids kitty," he said. Koome said they cannot continue waiting for donor support to fight HIV. "We need to have sustainability in the fight against this menace," he said. Koome said in Mombasa, there are seven new HIV infections every day with an 11 per cent prevalence rate. The county is at position five with the highest number of infections in all the 47 counties. By Charles Mghenyi The Star Newspaper, 12 June 2014