Kenya: Aids Test Caravan for CEOs Flagged Off

November 28, 2011

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Were

25 November 2011

HIV/Aids prevalence is greater among working women and men at 11 and 15 per cent

compared to the unemployed at 4 and 1 per cent respectively, a report from Kenya

Demographic Health Survey 2009 says.

This is due to factors such as having disposable incomes which provide the

ability to support multiple sex partners and even buy sex, living away from

spouses because of employment, drug and alcohol use and abuse of recreation.

Speaking during the CEOs testing event and road show, Dr Fridah Govedi said they

had successfully coordinated and held three public testing events targeting top

CEOs in 2007, 2008 and 2010. " This has always been held as a build-up event to

the World Aids Day marked each year on December 1, " Govedi said.

She said the main goal of the event is to give an opportunity to CEOs to show

leadership and lend their voices in response to HIV and Aids in the business

community in recognition of the devastating effects on business and health.

Govedi said the caravan will move around selected roads to reach workplaces

along Mombasa and Enterprise Road and out of Industrial Area through Bunyala

Road.

Along the route there will be hot spots where testing centres will be

established to operate for the whole day. She said the caravan will take time at

the hot spots to mobilise, sensitise and entertain the people with messages on

HIV and Aids.

In 2010, the event was an East African Community joint event and was rolled out

in the five capitals concurrently coordinated by the East African Business

Coalition (EABC) and Regional Programme on HIV and health. So far, more than 25

million people have died of HIV-related causes.

The Aids incidence continues to grow with more than 7,000 people infected each

day including 1,000 children. In Kenya, approximately 1.4 million people are

living with HIV and Aids. The prevalence stands at 6.3 per cent (2008-9).

November 28, 2011