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World Aids Day: Where does Nakuru stand on HIV/AIDS infections?

An old billboard of the Late President Mwai Kibaki (centre) campaigning against HIV/AIDS.

Photo credit: COURTESY

By  BRET SANYA

Correspondent

Mtaa Wangu

In November 1999 HIV/AIDS was declared a national disaster in Kenya.

At the time, I did not understand what the fuss was all about or just how deadly this disease was.

However, growing up in the 2000s onwards, especially after the Late President Mwai Kibaki came into power, people started having discussions around the disease.

It was at this time I remember we would see numerous adverts on mainstream media especially during prime time.

Also, in the city centre there was this billboard with Kibaki, holding hands with other individuals looking up to the sky. On the top part the message read, “Pamoja tuangamize Ukimwi.”

I was so tired of not knowing what this “UKIMWI” was, seeing that it was always being advertised on television and now on the streets. So I asked my parents.

Later that night, my parents gave me a crash course on what HIV/AIDS was, but like the traditional African parents, they avoided talking about how sexual intercourse would spread HIV/AIDS. They left this to my Class 5 teacher.

I was only told that I should not share my personal items and that it has no cure and I should fear it. As I grew up, of course, things became clearer.

24 years later, the virus still has a tight grip on us as a society, and according to data estimates from the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) website, the number of people living with HIV in Nakuru County stands at 65,149.

This makes Nakuru come in as the sixth county in the country’s ranking. Women make 66 percent of the total number of people living with HIV.

In the sub counties, Nakuru Town West leads with the highest number at 14,032, followed by Naivasha which has 12,696, with Gilgil coming in at a distant third with 7,003 people living with HIV.

Nakuru county has had 1,363 deaths related to AIDS. From the data ,117 young adults aged between 15-24 years have died due to AIDS.

It is also worth noting that the rate of new HIV infections in Nakuru County stands at 1,185 making it the third county with the highest new HIV infections after Nairobi and Kisumu respectively.

HIV prevalence among women in the county is much higher as compared to that of men, standing at 4.39 percent while that of men stands at 2.05 percent.

World AIDS day is observed on December 1 (today) every year.