Your daily Selection of IRIN Africa PlusNews reports, 9/11/2006

[Guest guest]

U N I T E D N A T I O N S

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) -

[These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CONTENT:

1 - KENYA: Education key to ARV adherence among refugees

1 - KENYA: Education key to ARV adherence among refugees

KAKUMA, 11 September (PLUSNEWS) - Anti-AIDS drugs are available to a small group

of HIV-positive patients in northern Kenya's remote Kakuma refugee camp, but

access is only part of the challenge: ignorance about the virus is widespread.

Many of the 95,000 refugees are from poor, rural, low-HIV prevalence areas and

had never heard of AIDS until coming into contact with awareness programmes in

the camp.

Kakuma is home to refugees who fled neighbouring Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Its comprehensive care centre (CCC) has been active for a year, providing

refugees and the local population with access to testing, counselling and

antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which help prolong the lives of HIV-positive people.

" Many of the patients that I see do not know of ARVs and what they are used for.

Only those who have interacted with some of the more educated ones do, " said

Monika Ashikanda, the adherence counsellor at the CCC.

The HIV infection rate in Kakuma is a relatively low two percent. The CCC

provides antiretrovirals to 85 patients, 60 percent of whom are refugees, while

the rest are from the host Turkana population.

" It is key that they understand that these are drugs for the rest of your life.

This is a very difficult concept for many, " said Ashikanda, who gives patients a

small oral test to ensure they have understood that adherence is critical. They

are counselled about the importance of healthy eating and treatment discipline

each time they collect their drugs.

New lease on life

To help ensure that ARVs are taken at the same time each day, Ashikanda

encourages her patients to use visual aids, such as their toothbrush, so pills

are swallowed when teeth are brushed.

" I remember by setting the alarm on my cellphone. I always have battery [power],

as I work on the generators in the Ethiopian area of camp. Through this I earn

3,000 shillings [uS$40] a month and use this to buy extra food, " said Abraham

Tesfaye, 29, who has been in the camp for 15 years and was first diagnosed

HIV-positive five years ago.

The ARVs have allowed Tesfaye, an Eritrean refugee, to continue with his job:

" Before I was often sick, now I feel good, I have gained 15kg. I ensure I eat

twice a day, I feel like my normal self, I go running and do push-ups. "

Deng [not his real name], 21, from southern Sudan, has been in the camp

since 1999 and has been taking ARVs for five months. He has only disclosed his

status to health workers and is so afraid of stigma that he tells his friends he

has tuberculosis.

Anti-AIDS drugs increase a patient's appetite and in remote Kakuma food is not

always readily available, so Deng relies on regular visits by home-based carers

for nutritional help. " I don't want the carers to stop coming, they remind me of

my appointments when I feel weak, and bring me vouchers for more food. I get two

cups of rice and three cups of beans extra each 15 days. "

Reluctant to return home

A peace agreement in January 2005 ended Sudan's 21-year civil war, bringing

long-awaited peace to the south, but the region remains desperately poor,

lacking even the most basic services, and some southern Sudanese are reluctant

to return home.

" ARVs are my life - how can I return to Sudan? I have to be close to where they

[the drugs] are. I am willing to stay here for as long as God wishes, " Deng

said.

Tesfaye also feels he is tied to the camp. " The drugs encourage me to stay in

the camp, as I won't get them in other places for free. "

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Subscriber: AIDS treatments

[Guest guest]

U N I T E D N A T I O N S

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) -

[These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CONTENT:

1 - KENYA: Education key to ARV adherence among refugees

1 - KENYA: Education key to ARV adherence among refugees

KAKUMA, 11 September (PLUSNEWS) - Anti-AIDS drugs are available to a small group

of HIV-positive patients in northern Kenya's remote Kakuma refugee camp, but

access is only part of the challenge: ignorance about the virus is widespread.

Many of the 95,000 refugees are from poor, rural, low-HIV prevalence areas and

had never heard of AIDS until coming into contact with awareness programmes in

the camp.

Kakuma is home to refugees who fled neighbouring Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Its comprehensive care centre (CCC) has been active for a year, providing

refugees and the local population with access to testing, counselling and

antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which help prolong the lives of HIV-positive people.

" Many of the patients that I see do not know of ARVs and what they are used for.

Only those who have interacted with some of the more educated ones do, " said

Monika Ashikanda, the adherence counsellor at the CCC.

The HIV infection rate in Kakuma is a relatively low two percent. The CCC

provides antiretrovirals to 85 patients, 60 percent of whom are refugees, while

the rest are from the host Turkana population.

" It is key that they understand that these are drugs for the rest of your life.

This is a very difficult concept for many, " said Ashikanda, who gives patients a

small oral test to ensure they have understood that adherence is critical. They

are counselled about the importance of healthy eating and treatment discipline

each time they collect their drugs.

New lease on life

To help ensure that ARVs are taken at the same time each day, Ashikanda

encourages her patients to use visual aids, such as their toothbrush, so pills

are swallowed when teeth are brushed.

" I remember by setting the alarm on my cellphone. I always have battery [power],

as I work on the generators in the Ethiopian area of camp. Through this I earn

3,000 shillings [uS$40] a month and use this to buy extra food, " said Abraham

Tesfaye, 29, who has been in the camp for 15 years and was first diagnosed

HIV-positive five years ago.

The ARVs have allowed Tesfaye, an Eritrean refugee, to continue with his job:

" Before I was often sick, now I feel good, I have gained 15kg. I ensure I eat

twice a day, I feel like my normal self, I go running and do push-ups. "

Deng [not his real name], 21, from southern Sudan, has been in the camp

since 1999 and has been taking ARVs for five months. He has only disclosed his

status to health workers and is so afraid of stigma that he tells his friends he

has tuberculosis.

Anti-AIDS drugs increase a patient's appetite and in remote Kakuma food is not

always readily available, so Deng relies on regular visits by home-based carers

for nutritional help. " I don't want the carers to stop coming, they remind me of

my appointments when I feel weak, and bring me vouchers for more food. I get two

cups of rice and three cups of beans extra each 15 days. "

Reluctant to return home

A peace agreement in January 2005 ended Sudan's 21-year civil war, bringing

long-awaited peace to the south, but the region remains desperately poor,

lacking even the most basic services, and some southern Sudanese are reluctant

to return home.

" ARVs are my life - how can I return to Sudan? I have to be close to where they

[the drugs] are. I am willing to stay here for as long as God wishes, " Deng

said.

Tesfaye also feels he is tied to the camp. " The drugs encourage me to stay in

the camp, as I won't get them in other places for free. "

[ENDS]

This is non-reply e-mail. Please do not hesitate to contact us at

Mail@....

Principal donors: IRIN is generously supported by Australia, Canada, Denmark,

ECHO, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and

the United States of America. For more information, go to:

http://www.IRINnews.org/donors

[This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information

service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its

agencies. All IRIN material may be reposted or reprinted free-of-charge; refer

to the copyright page (Http://www.irinnews.org/copyright ) for conditions of

use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs.]

PLUSNEWS

Tel: +27 11 895-1900

Fax: +27 11 784-6759

Email: Mail@...

To make changes to or cancel your subscription visit:

http://www.irinnews.org/subscriptions

Subscriber: AIDS treatments