HIV schemes to include drug users

[Guest guest]

HIV schemes to include drug users

Photo/FILE The government has procured funding from the Global Fund and plans

are underway to start a free needle replacement programmes in two public

hospitals.

By GATONYE GATHURA gathura@...

Posted Tuesday, June 14 2011 at 21:46

HIV programmes will be expanded to cover the more than 50,000 female prostitutes

in Nairobi , an almost similar number at the Coast and 30,000 injecting drug

users nationwide.

The government has procured funding from the Global Fund and plans are underway

to start a free needle replacement programmes in two public hospitals.

Indications are that these hospitals will be one each at the Coast and in

Nairobi.

Speaking at an ongoing regional workshop on HIV and drug use, Ms Helgar Musyoka

of the National Aids and STI Control Programme (Nascop) said the mapping out of

participating hospitals and other physical structures would start in September.

" Such facilities will be located near areas where drug abuse is prevalent, " she

said.

The sharing of needles by drug abusers has been identified as a major HIV

transmission route.

To reduce this transmission drug users who cannot drop the habit, the government

will provide them with sterile injecting equipment and remove contaminated

components from circulation.

According to Nascop boss Muraguri, who was chairing initial discussions

at the workshop funded by the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief,

high risk HIV groups cannot be ignored because they are a major reservoir for

the virus and act as a bridge to the general populace.

" According to the new Constitution and the Bill of Rights, every Kenyan is

entitled to decent healthcare, without any discrimination, " Dr Muraguri said on

the sidelines of the workshop.

He said Nascop, together with other groups, had carried out a national census on

the number of male and female prostitutes, injecting drug users and men who have

sex with men and was analysing the data.

Preliminary findings indicate there are 50,000 prostitutes in Nairobi and 43,000

in coastal towns.

" The prevalence of HIV among prostitutes is estimated to be five times the

national average, " Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi told a UN meeting

in New York on Thursday.

" A recent study done in Nairobi put HIV prevalence among female prostitutes at

30 per cent, while among men who have sex with men it was 25 per cent. HIV

prevalence among injecting drug users was estimated to be 21 per cent. "

The national average is 6.3 per cent.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/HIV+schemes+to+include+drug+users+/-/1056/1181118/-\

/12df5kqz/-/index.html

[Guest guest]

HIV schemes to include drug users

Photo/FILE The government has procured funding from the Global Fund and plans

are underway to start a free needle replacement programmes in two public

hospitals.

By GATONYE GATHURA gathura@...

Posted Tuesday, June 14 2011 at 21:46

HIV programmes will be expanded to cover the more than 50,000 female prostitutes

in Nairobi , an almost similar number at the Coast and 30,000 injecting drug

users nationwide.

The government has procured funding from the Global Fund and plans are underway

to start a free needle replacement programmes in two public hospitals.

Indications are that these hospitals will be one each at the Coast and in

Nairobi.

Speaking at an ongoing regional workshop on HIV and drug use, Ms Helgar Musyoka

of the National Aids and STI Control Programme (Nascop) said the mapping out of

participating hospitals and other physical structures would start in September.

" Such facilities will be located near areas where drug abuse is prevalent, " she

said.

The sharing of needles by drug abusers has been identified as a major HIV

transmission route.

To reduce this transmission drug users who cannot drop the habit, the government

will provide them with sterile injecting equipment and remove contaminated

components from circulation.

According to Nascop boss Muraguri, who was chairing initial discussions

at the workshop funded by the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief,

high risk HIV groups cannot be ignored because they are a major reservoir for

the virus and act as a bridge to the general populace.

" According to the new Constitution and the Bill of Rights, every Kenyan is

entitled to decent healthcare, without any discrimination, " Dr Muraguri said on

the sidelines of the workshop.

He said Nascop, together with other groups, had carried out a national census on

the number of male and female prostitutes, injecting drug users and men who have

sex with men and was analysing the data.

Preliminary findings indicate there are 50,000 prostitutes in Nairobi and 43,000

in coastal towns.

" The prevalence of HIV among prostitutes is estimated to be five times the

national average, " Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi told a UN meeting

in New York on Thursday.

" A recent study done in Nairobi put HIV prevalence among female prostitutes at

30 per cent, while among men who have sex with men it was 25 per cent. HIV

prevalence among injecting drug users was estimated to be 21 per cent. "

The national average is 6.3 per cent.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/HIV+schemes+to+include+drug+users+/-/1056/1181118/-\

/12df5kqz/-/index.html