Murang’a: Stakeholders in Murang’a County have called for deliberate efforts to equip adolescents and young people with accurate information about HIV/AIDS prevention. Speaking at Murang’a University during the celebrations, County Director of Health Dr. James Mburu urged stakeholders to intensify education targeting young people and encouraged the youth to know their HIV status and to speak out against Gender-Based Violence.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Mburu noted that Murang’a County’s HIV prevalence currently stands at 1.5 percent, with women bearing a higher burden at 2.07 percent compared to 0.8 percent among men. Mathioya records the highest prevalence at 2.25 percent, while Kandara stands at 0.6 percent. He added that 24 percent of new infections occur among adolescents and young people aged 15-24, calling for continuous dialogue and targeted interventions for this group.
Dr. Mburu emphasized the need to address the issues facing young girls in Murang’a, including sexual violence, unintended pregnancy, and HIV infection, describing these as a “triple threat.” He highlighted significant progress made in the county, noting that AIDS-related deaths have reduced by over 71 percent in the last decade, while new infections have dropped by 91 percent since 2013. Currently, about 18,000 residents living with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment (ART).
However, Dr. Mburu expressed concern over the 9.3 percent rate of mother-to-child transmission and called for enhanced prevention efforts. He urged stakeholders to safeguard the gains made so far, despite shrinking foreign funding.
Murang’a County GBV Coordinator Patrick Kariuki echoed the call for concerted action to address the challenges facing young girls, noting that Murang’a County is ranked second in the country in prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence. He stated that gender-based violence is largely driven by power imbalances and highlighted both traditional forms of abuse, such as female genital mutilation, and emerging ones, like digital violence.
Kariuki urged residents to report all forms of violence to authorities to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and called on residents to support survivors and ensure they receive prompt medical attention.
