Since last month, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Siaya Bomet, Kilifi, and Kwale have all reported severe shortages.
HIV prevention is hindered, for example, in Homa Bay and Kilifi by the absence of free condoms that are typically distributed in public venues like pubs and universities.
Since last month, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Siaya Bomet, Kilifi, and Kwale have all reported severe shortages.
HIV prevention is hindered, for example, in Homa Bay and Kilifi by the absence of free condoms that are typically distributed in public venues like pubs and universities.
The lack of testing kits, according to Adel Ottoman, director of preventive and promotional health for Homa Bay County, has jeopardized data collecting on new infections and halted advancements in the field. He said that for the previous six months, the Health department had not been able to record any new cases.
The government’s efforts to lower infection rates among children and sexually active teens have been harmed in the long run by the shortage, according to Dr. Ottoman.
He stated that people who use the self-test kits might forget to contact the facility if they test positive. The use of antiretrovirals by the population has also been impacted by this situation.
The National Syndemic Diseases Control Council, which replaced the National Aids Control Council, estimates the prevalence to be 4.8% nationwide.
Dr. Ottoman explained that since HIV tests are conducted in a sequence of tests, the entire test must be delayed if one of the kits is unavailable to prevent errors.
A public health office employee in Siaya told Sunday Nation that since their previous county-level outreach effort in March, they have not sent any kits or condoms to institutions.
I’m not sure if the kits are available, but the majority of public hospitals do not have them, which begs the question of why they would be stored in the stores. “People are genuinely begging for the kits,” the officer, who is not authorized to speak to the media, adds, adding that reagents are also not readily available in addition to test kits
They have not been treated, according to Ms. Fatuma Mboki, a community health worker in Kwale.
Community health worker Ms. Fatuma Mboki in Kwale claimed that no one has been given a test. She explained that, “What we normally do during our community visits is test people for various diseases, including malaria and even HIV, then refer them in case there is a positive result. However, for the past four months, we have not been provided with the HIV kits; we were told that they had been ordered from Kemsa.”
The self-testing HIV kits, however, are accessible in select pharmacies but are priced at Sh500, making them unaffordable for low-income Kenyans.
Residents seeking examinations at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital are directed to private clinics where they can purchase the test kits and validate their results at home.
The results of the tests carried out outside the hospital, according to a representative of Liverpool VCT, which provides HIV counseling and testing, are not documented anywhere.
The crisis has had a significant impact at maternity clinics, where there is a high danger that an HIV-positive mother will infect her unborn child, according to hospital chief executive officer Peter Ogolla. Elisa is a laboratory test used on people who have been exposed to viruses; it costs between Sh5,000 and Sh10,000, and only a few hospitals have the necessary equipment. The hospital has resorted to using it.
The majority of children and adults are not getting tested for HIV, according to Mr. Peter Gwengi, director of the Lake Victoria Initiative for People Living with HIV. The hospital administrators ask those who want to be tested to come the following day, according to Mr. Gwengi, who has lived with the virus for 30 years. “No reagents, that’s the song of the day in most facilities,” he says.
In February, the country reported another shortfall.
Lazarus Momanyi, manager of the National Aids and STI Control Program, claims that the testing kit supplier’s delays were to blame for the severe shortage that affected the entire nation. However, he has guaranteed that the kits will be delivered after an order was placed with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authorities (Kemsa) two weeks ago.
He regretted that the delay might have increased the danger of serious infection in afflicted people, particularly youngsters. According to Dr. Momanyi, the delayed test can only indicate that the facilities are unable to recognize the new infection or put the patients on ARVS, leaving them vulnerable to opportunistic illnesses and premature deaths.
