By Stella Mwangi

Experts have expressed concern over reported cases of increased HIV/Aids infection in the past six years.

A report by African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref) says HIV prevalence stands at 7.4 per cent up from 6.7 per cent recorded in 2003.

Rift Valley Province has the highest new infection rates.

"By last December persons infected with the virus in the province were 322,000, which accounts for 50 per cent of those infected," said Hannington Onyango, the National Aids Control Council Rift Valley co-ordinator.

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It is for this reason that the Government and Amref will spend Sh17 million in the fight against HIV/Aids in the province.

Rift Valley PC Hassan Noor Hassan said HIV prevalence had risen and it was important to be in partnerships.

"It is sad that as HIV prevalence stabilised in other provinces, it continued to affect the bread basket of this country," he said.

Working with Amref

In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy PC Joseph Kimiywi during the launch of Maanisha programme in Rift Valley, Mr Hassan said Government structures would work with Amref.

"District technical committees, Constituency Aids control committees, district health management teams and community-based organisations are some of the structures to be involved in the programme," he said.

Hassan said the programme had started in Sotik, Bomet, Buret, Trans Mara, Kipkelion, Trans Nzoia East and West, Kwanza and Eldoret East and North districts.

Amref Deputy Country Director Festus Ilako said Maanisha programme, which was started in 2007 and will run until 2012, had been in operation in Nyanza and Western provinces.

"During this five-year period we hope to cover 89 districts in Rift valley and Eastern provinces and support about 300 more organisations. This will see us spend Sh130 million," Ilako said.

He said the programme had supported more than 30,000 orphans and vulnerable children, trained 4,000 home based caregivers, and reached more than 80,000 people living with HIV and Aids to date.