HIV summit entered day 2 in Mombasa

The HIV Service Delivery Integration Summit marked its second day in Mombasa on Wednesday with key speakers reiterating need for eradication of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030, within the context of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages in line with World Health Organisation stipulated targets.

The 4-day conference organised by National AIDS and STIs Control Programme in partnership with other relevant partners at a Mombasa hotel was on Tuesday officially opened virtually by Health Cabinet Secretary Nakhumicha S. Wafula.

She commended various agencies of government of contributing towards remarkable progress in ending HIV including expanding access to critical services such as testing, prevention of new infections, care for those infected.

“Kenya has walked a long journey in the response to the HIV pandemic which over the last 40years has been the country’s biggest public health concern. I commend the government stakeholders besides our development and implementation partners for strongly supporting the response.We endeavour to dedicate our efforts in redesigning the HIV fight to align with and contribute reform agenda aimed at providing access to integrated people centered healthcare services to securing progress of ending HIV as a public health threat” she said

Rose Wafula, Head of NASCOP noted that they will continue leading from the front to achieve HIV,AIDS and STIs free generation through involvement of policy and guideline formulation to help develop an action plan dubbed Kenya Plan to End AIDS in Children by 2027.

This plan she said is an embodiment of interventions that are being implemented to close the tap of new HIV infections among children. The goal is to end AIDS in children by 2027 and eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis.

This ambitious goal is tailored to address gaps in HIV and AIDS service delivery and provide avenues for best practices in the quality of care for all pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in urban and rural Kenya.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Health Dr Gregory Gonda on his part emphasised on the continuous program of using Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to support patient care engagement and reduce the burden placed on HIV clinic nurses.

He said CHPs are uniquely positioned to establish trust and provide patient support as long as their work environment including reasonable workload, supportive supervision and adequate training and supplies is facilitated.CHP reliance for HIV care continues to increase, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Others who spoke during the day include AMPATH Executive Director Professor Sylvester Kimaiyo,the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) Dr Andrew Mulwa,National Health Promotion Officer at the World Health Organization Dr Christine Kisia who spoke on behalf of the Country Director Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo among others.

The aim of integration is to provide more comprehensive, convenient, and hence more acceptable, cost-effective and HIV and AIDS programmes at all service delivery points/levels, where appropriate.