NATIONAL NEEDLE PROGRAM SEMINAR

By EMMANUEL BOAZ Over 15 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Coast province is one the highest province in HIV prevalence with a percentage of 4.2 and 5.1 percentage prevalence for adults. New HIV infection sources by Kenya modes of Transmission (KMOT) state that the use of the same syringe by drug addicts to inject themselves has contributed to the spread of HIV. 33 percent of new infection is coming from commercial sex workers, male having sex with other men (MSM), injecting drug addicts, and prison population. These are the most at risk population (MAPS) According to KMOT 44% of aid infection is in marriages. The remaining percentage is the health facility and related infection. Speaking today at a program to enlighten religious leaders on why the NAC is planning to give out syringes to the Drug addicts in Mombasa, two HIV infected individuals gave some testimonies. “What has caused me to be infected is the use of the same syringe while taking drugs; I could not be going to the health centre after every 2 months to take medicine in order to keep me going if it were not for drugs. In my opinion if youth to be educated on the risks of drug abuse and by doing so many will avoid being infected with this deadly disease,” said Hassan Said an addict for the last five years. Another addict Monica Wanja said that she was infected due to the use of syringes. Imagine how many I infected when I was hooked on drugs, I was a harlot and got a chance to be with may men and used the syringe with many of my colleges. In my opinion say that if there were syringes in those times I could not be infected by HIV, because I would have used only one syringe by myself. These were testimonies of reformed drug addicts who have felt the pinch of sharing syringes among drug users. The deputy director National Aids control (NAC) Doctor Sobbie Mulindi, who is the first doctor to talk about aids in Kenya in the forum said that he would like the Muslim leaders and politicians to be in the front seat n helping in the fight against drugs and AIDS. There should be domestic financing in the country instead of depending on funds from well wishers who are abroad. Speaking in an interview with the nation Dr Sobbie said that giving out the syringes to the addicts will help in the fight against AIDS among syringe users’ drug addicts in Mombasa. Further more the national aids control program should be established by an act of parliament in order to hold the stake holders accountable in the fight against drugs and AIDS. “Reform in the police and justice sector will also help in the fight against AIDS and drugs because of corruption.” He added Misconception among religious leaders and political interest among coastal politicians was the main challenge in the distribution of syringes among drug users. “The government should secure jobs for the youth in order for them to be occupied instead of getting hooked in drugs. “Poverty and lack of jobs is the key draw back among the youth in the fight against drugs. The political leaders should avail jobs to the youth in order to help in the fight against Drugs and AIDS,” Dr. Sobbie said. This comes when; coastal religious leaders and politicians are fully in disagreement with the government’s plan of giving out syringes to the drug addicts saying that it is a way of promoting the use of drugs but not fighting against it.