By Michael Oriedo
When Bernard Momanyi took his wife to Kenyatta National Hospital recently, the last thing on his mind was to take a HIV test.
Dr Peter Cherutich, the Deputy Director and Head of HIV Prevention at National Aids and STIs Control Programme. [PHOTO: MICHAEL ORIEDO/STANDARD] |
As he sat on the bench pensively waiting for any information from the doctor, a nurse approached her. She led him to a separate room and asked him if had ever taken a HIV test.
"I was surprised. I answered I had done a test six months ago," he recounts.
The nurse, unbowed, convinced him to do another test. Although he had avoided the procedure for years, he was eventually tested.
Hours later, upon the nurse’s advice, he called other members of his family to visit the hospital where they were also tested.
"I now know the HIV status of all members of my family. This can help plan for their future better," he said proudly.
Momanyi is among people who have undergone testing in a Government programme that aims at making HIV the procedure a habit.
Known as Routine HIV Testing, the programme has kicked off at Kenyatta hospital and other public health facilities in the country. It aims at reducing stigma and encouraging people to take HIV tests.
It is on a pilot basis, and will soon be rolled out in other public and private hospitals.
Every person visiting a public hospital in any part of the country will be asked to voluntary take a HIV test. Relatives and friends accompanying patients to hospital will also undergo the tests.
"Making testing an everyday issue, a kind of a lifestyle, is the best way we can ensure that a great proportion of the population know their HIV status," said Dr Peter Cherutich, the deputy director and head of HIV Prevention at National Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (Nascop).
Bear of stigma
Cherutich says routine HIV testing will make HIV/Aids lose its ‘special status’ in the country’s health care system.
"The method integrates HIV care and public health care. HIV will, therefore, cease to be a special disease. This will in turn help in eliminating stigma and will encourage more people to test," he said.
Traditionally, government hospitals have a special unit for HIV/Aids patients, which are known as Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC).
Health authorities believe this system has slowed the fight against HIV/Aids since people shun the centres for treatment. They also shy away from testing for fear of stigmatisation.
It is estimated that about 40 per cent of Kenyans have never undergone a HIV test.
HIV, which causes Aids, is a unique virus because it can remain in the body for long periods. If one is not tested, he or she could spread it to several people.
Scientists say HIV can remain in the body for up to 10 years without any symptoms.
Studies done by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) demonstrate that persons with HIV often visit health care settings years before receiving a HIV diagnosis.
Thus, implementation of screening for all patients will help identify infected persons earlier in the course of their diseases and prevent further infection, says a CDC study.
Experts also expect routine HIV testing will eliminate cases of testing by proxy, especially for men, who believe when their wives are HIV negative, they are also free of the virus.
However, it has been found that this does not work due to cases of discordant couples.
Opt out
This cannot work because there are cases of discordant couples. In such cases, one spouse is HIV negative, and the other positive. There are about 350,000 such couples in the country.
An official from the National Aids Control Council says in addition, a programme known as Provider Initiated Counselling and Testing (PITC) had been rolled out.
A health practitioner initiates the process and informs a patient on the need to be tested.
"It is also referred to as "opt out" since once can quit if he is not interested in getting tested," said the official, who asked not to be named.
It provided for free in public hospitals, while a small fee is charged in private ones.
However, the official noted routine testing should have legal implications so that it compels everyone who goes to hospital to be tested.
Gains made, but slowing HIV
With the introduction of routine HIV testing, the Government wants at least 80 per cent of the population to know their status in the next two years.
Dr Peter Cherutich, the Deputy Director and Head of HIV Prevention at the National Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (Nascop) says the country would also strengthen measures to take care of patients.
Nascop estimates that about 100,000 people are infected with HIV in Kenya every year. HIV prevalence stands at seven per cent.
Health authorities say the number of people visiting Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres has reduced significantly over the years.
In the centres, people are first counselled and then tested if they so wish.
However, many now feel that the centres are themselves a source of stigma. In the eyes of the public, anyone seen approaching the centres is at times assumed to positive, or to have a serious ailment.
"The government, however, has started to reverse the trend through the use of HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC), which is aimed at transforming people’s mindset.
In this approach, people are first tested and then counselled.
Millenium goals
Reduction of HIV infection and spread of the disease is part of Millennium Development Goals.
Goal six, which focuses on HIV among other communicable diseases, outlines that countries should have began to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015. They should also halt new infections by this time.
The goal further targets that a sizeable population of those with advanced HIV infection should have universal access to treatment and anti-retroviral drugs.
