HIV CASES IN SAGANA

AS the advert runs in the TV stations of HIV and Aids being witnessed in marriages is evident in Kirinyaga County where new HIV cases have been reported in Kerugoya district hospital in the months of January and February this year with January only recording 17 cases. The new cases according to Jane Muchiri nursing officer and also the counseling officers says the cases are mainly in the married couples who she said are at the age of 45-70. She said that 20 men who have gone for testing in the facility without their wives a third of them have tested positive a move she said is worrying. Muchiri also pointed out that those that are on ARV therapy are 11 in January while the rest are on Septrine since there CD4 count is not below 450,1644 are previously on ARV. The new cases and where HIV has shot is in Kirinyaga Central district where 5 of those tested 3 are testing positive. Other non communicable diseases like TB, Herpes and their CD4 count is 350 they are put on Septrine. In the months of December and January, the nurse in charge was quick to say that they lost over 20 patients who were on ARV’s and declined to continue taking the medicines. Kerugoya district hospital medical Superintendent Gideon Mburu said that more education needs to be done mostly on married couples since that’s where new cases are being reported. “We have more new HIV cases in Married couples, ages of 45-70 years which is worrying” said Mburu. He also said that initially new cases were being reported in single women citing that it has gone down tremendously. Separately in Sagana girls between the age of 14-17 are infected by the deadly virus where in a month those that attend antenatal clinic and testing positive is going up daily a trend that is worrying. The girls who some have been put on ARV’s said that they have are doing prostitution in the town when they were very young. Kirinyaga West District officer Philo Muoki said that young girls who have joined prostitution in the town are the cause of the rise of HIV. He also said that with the start of long distance drivers spending towns, lack of jobs among the youths t has turned out to be a big challenge. Muoki added that it has been made hard to finish the vice since parents attack police officers saying that they are being “cut off” from their source of income. “As an administrator I have fought the vice for years but the parents as making every step hard for us they are blaming us on killing their source of income” said Muoki. ENDS…. 0723321326