Written by John Kabaka 2012-05-11 12:30:00 Read 970 Times

Dr. Sobbie Mulindi, the  National Aids control Council  deputy director on coordination and support issues adddressing Western Region Stakeholders in the fight against HIV in Kakamega town. Photo/ john Kabaka.

Shocking statistics reveal that almost 1.4 million Kenyans are HIV infected, according to the National Aids control Council.

According to Dr. Sobbie Mulindi, NACC deputy director on coordination and support issues, almost 2.8 million of Kenyan children are orphaned due to HIV/Aids.

“The number of orphans who have been left due to Aids is alarming and we need not to get it for granted,” said Dr Mulindi.

Dr Mulindi urged all Kenyans to get tested saying that was the only way towards a prosperous life.

As election approaches, he urged current mps to preach peace and harmony saying the post election violence was a big setback to the fight against HIV.

“We really had hard time during the post election violence, the infected could not access the drugs due to forceful eviction, hospitals were closed and HIV centers closes, we would never want to go their again,” remarked Dr Mulindi.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the Western Region Stakeholders in the fight against HIV in Kakamega town.

In the meeting, the stakeholders were urged to help the council lobby for mps to help in passing the Kenya National Aids Control Bill.

If passed into law, the act will streamline the fight and management of the disease.

“If this bill is made into law then we won’t have lots of problems in bringing drugs, condoms and other wares used in management of the HIV into the country,” said Dr Mulindi.

He regretted management of the disease under the current system in NACC was not governed by law, hence making it hard to track records and reports filed by various players and stakeholders.

The bill has been declared a national disaster, all the powers are owed to the President to declare Aids a national disaster,” said Lwanya the Western region field Officer Edwin Lwanya.

The meeting was attended by stakeholder form the counties of the western region including Busia, Kakamega, Bungoma and Vuhiga counties.

Lwanya said the Bill was drafted after vigorous consultations with various players and stakeholders.

The Bill will promote a multi-sectoral approach in fight against HIV and urged community members and other players to lobby MPs to pass the Bill.

“I urge all of us who are here to help us to lobby for Mps support over this bill because if passed into law, we would have achived a very vital step in the war against HIV,” said Lwanya.

Stakeholders present said they will try to talk to the mps in their various constituencies, indifferent meeting on the issues of supporting the bill when it will be tabled in parliament for debate.

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