Violence in Kenya Preventing Nearly 2,400 From Accessing Antiretrovirals

[Guest guest]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

Post-election Violence in Kenya Preventing Nearly 2,400 From

Accessing Antiretrovirals, AIDS Council Says

[Feb 27, 2008]

Post-election violence in Kenya has prevented 2,391 HIV-

positive people from accessing antiretrovirals, the country's

National AIDS Control Council recently said, Business

Daily/AllAfrica.com reports. More than 300,000 people have been

internally displaced since the violence began in late December

2007. " Basing our estimates on the national prevalence rate, 15,000

HIV-positive people have been affected, with half of them remaining

on treatment, " NACC said in a statement.

Mutie, head of communications at NACC, said restrictions on

movement through some regions of the country have affected the

delivery of antiretrovirals. Mutie said preliminary data showed that

most of the internally displaced people living with HIV/AIDS are not

eating the recommended foods. Mutie noted that efforts have been

made in some IDP camps to supply condoms, information and post-

exposure prophylaxis for rape survivors. Ten rape cases have been

reported so far in three camps in Nairobi, and six have been

treated, according to Business Daily/AllAfrica.com.

Displacement of people is seen as a heavy setback in the fight

against HIV/AIDS, BusinessDaily/AllAfrica.com reports. According to

a 2007 UNAIDS report, HIV prevalence in Kenya has decreased from a

high of 14% in the mid-1990s to 5% in 2006. Mutie said that if the

violence is not " urgently contained, we expect a sharp increase in

infections and death of patients due to the poor conditions in the

camps and lawlessness that makes it easier for sexual offenses to be

committed. " He also noted that the economy will suffer as people who

cannot access their medicines become ill and are not able to

work. " If the situation does not go back to normal, Kenya is going

to suffer very much in the fight against AIDS, " Mutie said (Business

Daily/AllAfrica.com, 2/25).

[Guest guest]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

Post-election Violence in Kenya Preventing Nearly 2,400 From

Accessing Antiretrovirals, AIDS Council Says

[Feb 27, 2008]

Post-election violence in Kenya has prevented 2,391 HIV-

positive people from accessing antiretrovirals, the country's

National AIDS Control Council recently said, Business

Daily/AllAfrica.com reports. More than 300,000 people have been

internally displaced since the violence began in late December

2007. " Basing our estimates on the national prevalence rate, 15,000

HIV-positive people have been affected, with half of them remaining

on treatment, " NACC said in a statement.

Mutie, head of communications at NACC, said restrictions on

movement through some regions of the country have affected the

delivery of antiretrovirals. Mutie said preliminary data showed that

most of the internally displaced people living with HIV/AIDS are not

eating the recommended foods. Mutie noted that efforts have been

made in some IDP camps to supply condoms, information and post-

exposure prophylaxis for rape survivors. Ten rape cases have been

reported so far in three camps in Nairobi, and six have been

treated, according to Business Daily/AllAfrica.com.

Displacement of people is seen as a heavy setback in the fight

against HIV/AIDS, BusinessDaily/AllAfrica.com reports. According to

a 2007 UNAIDS report, HIV prevalence in Kenya has decreased from a

high of 14% in the mid-1990s to 5% in 2006. Mutie said that if the

violence is not " urgently contained, we expect a sharp increase in

infections and death of patients due to the poor conditions in the

camps and lawlessness that makes it easier for sexual offenses to be

committed. " He also noted that the economy will suffer as people who

cannot access their medicines become ill and are not able to

work. " If the situation does not go back to normal, Kenya is going

to suffer very much in the fight against AIDS, " Mutie said (Business

Daily/AllAfrica.com, 2/25).