Siaya County recorded an 84% reduction in new HIV/AIDS infections among adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years between 2015 and 2021. According to the director of the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council, Lucy Ghati, during the period, the number of new infections among this age group dropped from 2,355 to 371. She was speaking at the Siaya Kenya medical training College grounds during a sensitization forum for community opinion leaders on ending new HIV infections, adolescent pregnancies and sexual and gender based violence in Siaya. The director, who was flanked by Siaya County Commissioner Jim Njoka and the county executive committee member for health Martin Odhiambo K’onyango said that during the period, the country’s new HIV infections amongst adolescents stood at 5,123, with Siaya contributing seven percent. Ghati said that HIV/AIDS prevalence in Siaya County, which stands at 14.1%, is four times higher than the national prevalence and called for concerted efforts to bring the figures down. The director said that with a youthful population where 59% was aged below 24 years, the county’s youth was faced with the threat of triple threat of HIV, adolescent pregnancies and sexual and gender based violence hence the need for opinion leaders and other stakeholders to join hands to tackle the vices. Addressing the occasion, the county commissioner challenged all stakeholders to work in unison to win the war against the vices. Mr Njoka said that gender based violence was a silent threat to the society as most people feel shy to come to the open. ‘Gender based Violence is a silent epidemic due to stigma,’ he said and challenged all leaders to start talking about it in churches, public barazas and all other forums. The county executive committee member for health said that though the county had made some milestones in the war against HIV/AIDS, a lot more still need to be done. Dr K’onyango said the county had, during the 2015 – 2021 period, recorded a 53% decline in AIDS related deaths among adolescents. The ‘Triple Threat Campaign’ is a multi-sectoral, whole government approach to ending new HIV infections, unintended pregnancies, sexual and gender based violence among adolescent girls and young women by addressing the drivers of risk and vulnerability in this population. The occasion was also attended by Siaya Deputy County Commissioner, Robert Ng’etich and several national government departmental heads.
Source: Kenya News Agency