Kenya: Drivers only stop to drink and buy girls

March 28, 2011

Drivers only stop to drink and buy girls

By Lorraine Anyango

newsdesk@...

Posted Monday, March 28 2011 at 22:00

Muhammad Bwire lives on the road. He spends up to seven days before getting to

his destination, driving a 24-wheel truck from Kampala to Mombasa.

He has been on the road for seven years now.

" We only stop to fill up at petrol stations, drink alcohol and later buy girls, "

says the 50-year-old driver.

Though he has a wife and five children, he has five to eight girlfriends in

towns along the highway.

" When we are on the road, far away from home, it gets lonely. We need someone to

talk to, and to entertain us. That is why we get women, " he said.

Mr Bwire has company. Many truck drivers are exposed to a lifestyle that comes

with the risks of contracting HIV in Busia Town, at the border with Uganda.

Busia and its environs has a prevalence rate of 7.4 per cent, against the

national rate of 6.3 per cent.

Wellness Centre

It's this population that a new 24-hour road-side clinic, Busia Wellness Centre,

is now serving for free, in a bid to reduce the HIV prevalence rate.

The second one of its kind in Kenya after Malaba, the clinic was put up at a

cost of Sh2.4 million by the international Immigration Organisation (IOM) and

the National Aids Control Council (NACC).

The organisations are also targeting the hard-to-reach population and vulnerable

people such as police officers in remote areas, boda boda cyclists and

prostitutes.

The clinic located at the heart of Busia Trailer Park comes in handy for

neighbouring villagers who no longer need to walk long distances to a HIV

clinic.

The centre brings services closer to people who need it by supplying drugs and

providing information.

The health needs of mobile population, such as truck drivers and prostitutes are

not being met in Kenya. Health clinics are not accessible for people who need to

get the services in remote locations and those who work at odd hours.

The Busia Wellness Centre also provides free tuberculosis, malaria and HIV

treatment. Nurses are available 24 hours a day and also offer HIV counselling.

The Busia town council embraced the centre and donated electricity and water

supplies.

During its launch last week, Prof Alloys Orago, the director of the National

AIDS Control Council said it was the beginning of partnership with IOM and the

Kenya National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCOP).

He said they hoped to provide the entire northern transport corridor with free

health clinics specifically designed for hard-to-reach population.

" We see the Busia Wellness Centre acting as a platform for a more comprehensive

prevention approach, " He added.

He said that there was need to address such issues as condom availability and

empowering prostitutes to negotiate safer sex adding that overcoming

misconceptions surrounding HIV will be addressed.

" We must ensure that those providing clinic services and behavioural

interventions are collaborating towards common objectives, " Mr Greg Irving,

health programme officer at IOM said.

He called for strengthened partnerships, accountability, coordination and

financial commitment which would ultimately prevent new HIV infections.

The Busia Wellness Centre has already triggered a cross border meeting between

Kenyan and Ugandan government officials.

The leaders will strengthen existing relationships and provide an opportunity to

highlight common health care challenges between the two countries. Participants

are also scheduled to agree on jointly managing identified challenges, and will

work towards a common health care package.

During the launch, Mr O. Mondoh, PS Special Programmes said the clinic

was specifically equipped to meet the needs of the cross border mobile

Population and the area community.

" It is however, important for us as a community to work together in order to rid

ourselves of the stigma that may be one of the major obstacles standing in our

way to achieving this. "

He encouraged area residents to make use of the free health services offered at

this clinic.

He said that despite the progress made, there were continuing and emerging

challenges that needed to be addressed for the country to achieve its national

goals as articulated in the Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan 2009/10-2012/13

and go beyond the universal access targets of 2010.

He said that the challenges included high new infection rates which was

estimated at 166,000 annually in 2007 and risky behaviour.

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March 28, 2011