Northern Kenya

Turkana records 96.6pc success rate in preventing mother-child HIV transmission

Turkana County health officials, led by prevention and preventive health services chief officer Khatra Abdi (4th L), celebrate the prevention of mother-child HIV transmission in 58 children during an event at the Lodwar County Referral Hospital on May 27, 2024. (Photo: CPS)

By Issa Hussein | Monday, May 27, 2024

The county's health department has placed the positivity rate at 3.4 per cent, below the national recommended rate of under 5 per cent.

An 18-month programme on the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission at the Lodwar County Referral Hospital has had a 96.6 per cent success rate, with only two out of 58 children testing positive for the infection.

This is according to Turkana County's Department of Preventive and Promotive Health Services, which placed the positivity rate at 3.4 per cent, below the national recommended rate of under 5 per cent.

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Khatra Abdi, the chief officer for preventive and promotive health services, attributed the success to enhanced participation in the programme and encouraged more women to join to keep their children from getting infected.

"Even though your children have been declared HIV-free, it does not mean you should stop taking the antiretroviral drugs (ARVs)," Khatra told mothers at the Lodwar hospital on Monday, during an event that declared that 58 HIV-exposed children were safe, having been part of the programme.

She further warned the mothers against taking dangerous drugs and other substances, saying this was a major reason why they were not adhering to instructions for taking their ARVs, which she noted compromised their health.

Bonaventure Ameyo, the director of preventive and promotive health services, noted the crucial role that pregnant mothers play in preventing HIV transmission to children.

Ameyo called for more donor support for the programme, owing to its significant success, adding that it had also proven effective in tracking poor ARV use or the lack of it.

Khali Hassan, the Lodwar hospital's deputy director, spoke of the need to scale up HIV testing services at sub-county health facilities, while Samuel Pulkol, the county Aids and STI coordinator, reported that stigma, poor antenatal care attendance, and home deliveries were the leading causes of defaults and high HIV transmission rates.

Also present were representatives from donor partners such as the USAID Imarisha Jamii programme, the Kenya Red Cross Society, and World Vision.