Kenya: Aids control council allays fears over drug shortage

[Guest guest]

Aids control council allays fears over drug shortage

Posted Tuesday, May 24 2011 at 19:01

Kenya has enough supply of antiretroviral drugs, the Aids control council has

said.

According to the National Aids Control Council, there are enough drugs for the

400,000 people on treatment.

" Last year's national budget allocated Sh900 million to ensure Kenyans have

these drugs, " the agency's deputy director for coordination and support, Dr

Sobbie Mulindi, said on Tuesday.

He added that the government had put measures in place to ensure a consistent

supply of free condoms for those who cannot purchase them, adding that " female

condoms are also very available " .

Dr Mulindi dismissed claims that there may be counterfeit ARVs being dispensed

to unsuspecting wananchi.

" The Kenya Bureau of Standards makes certain that the drugs we supply are of

high quality and we also regulate the bodies that supply these drugs.

" Through the Ministry of Health, we know that Kenyans are receiving good

medication, " he said.

In March, a civil society group, The National Empowerment Network of People

Living with HIV/Aids in Kenya, had said that there was a looming shortage of the

life-prolonging drugs — claims the government refuted.

Further, it accused the government of failing to provide the treatment in public

hospitals. Public Health Minister Beth Mugo dismissed the claim.

Dr Mulindi was speaking at the opening of a two-day forum for an HIV-Free

Generation at a Nairobi hotel.

Ms Tijuana -Traore, the associate director of the Partnership for an

HIV-Free Generation (HFG), the organisation behind the campaign dubbed

" G-Pange " , said plans were under way to educate the youth on the epidemic.

" We have not reached the group in the way that we would like to, " Ms

-Traore said.

HFG country director Lydia Murimi said the fact that the top three fears of the

youth, in order, are unemployment, pregnancy then HIV/Aids, heightens their

willingness to take risks.

The initiative is now targeting young people aged between 10 and 24, through

in-school and out-of-school anti-HIV campaigns, with the view of reducing the

occurrence of the disease by 50 per cent by 2014.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Aids+control+council+allays+fears+over+drug+shortag\

e+/-/1056/1168816/-/s5kqs0z/-/index.html

[Guest guest]

Aids control council allays fears over drug shortage

Posted Tuesday, May 24 2011 at 19:01

Kenya has enough supply of antiretroviral drugs, the Aids control council has

said.

According to the National Aids Control Council, there are enough drugs for the

400,000 people on treatment.

" Last year's national budget allocated Sh900 million to ensure Kenyans have

these drugs, " the agency's deputy director for coordination and support, Dr

Sobbie Mulindi, said on Tuesday.

He added that the government had put measures in place to ensure a consistent

supply of free condoms for those who cannot purchase them, adding that " female

condoms are also very available " .

Dr Mulindi dismissed claims that there may be counterfeit ARVs being dispensed

to unsuspecting wananchi.

" The Kenya Bureau of Standards makes certain that the drugs we supply are of

high quality and we also regulate the bodies that supply these drugs.

" Through the Ministry of Health, we know that Kenyans are receiving good

medication, " he said.

In March, a civil society group, The National Empowerment Network of People

Living with HIV/Aids in Kenya, had said that there was a looming shortage of the

life-prolonging drugs — claims the government refuted.

Further, it accused the government of failing to provide the treatment in public

hospitals. Public Health Minister Beth Mugo dismissed the claim.

Dr Mulindi was speaking at the opening of a two-day forum for an HIV-Free

Generation at a Nairobi hotel.

Ms Tijuana -Traore, the associate director of the Partnership for an

HIV-Free Generation (HFG), the organisation behind the campaign dubbed

" G-Pange " , said plans were under way to educate the youth on the epidemic.

" We have not reached the group in the way that we would like to, " Ms

-Traore said.

HFG country director Lydia Murimi said the fact that the top three fears of the

youth, in order, are unemployment, pregnancy then HIV/Aids, heightens their

willingness to take risks.

The initiative is now targeting young people aged between 10 and 24, through

in-school and out-of-school anti-HIV campaigns, with the view of reducing the

occurrence of the disease by 50 per cent by 2014.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Aids+control+council+allays+fears+over+drug+shortag\

e+/-/1056/1168816/-/s5kqs0z/-/index.html