HIV Management – Rural New Life Development Kenya

HIV/AIDS Management

We are engaged in facilitating Community health information giving sessions, encouraging people to know their HIV status for early management of the disease and strict adherence for those placed on anti-retroviral drugs regime treatment. the sessions target youth who are sexually active and are at a higher risk of getting infected, advocate for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Context

RUNELD responsiveness to Homa Bay as a spot with reports showing it has the highest number of HIV cases. The county has a prevalence rate of 27.1 per cent with 127,140 adults and 22,851 children living with the virus and Poverty Level of 50.2 % we have been taking steps to reverse this trend.

Intervention

We are using a multi pronged approach in tackling the HIV prevalence. We have medical intervention for the vulnerable, care for orphans and other vulnerable children and advocacy .We also partner with local and international agencies in running our programs.

OVC Program

We launched of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC ) Care and Support Program in 2005 to care for less privileged in rural Kenya, we challenged profession social workers to imbibe the spirit of giving back to society in which Children are experiencing deepening enormous mental stress from witnessing illnesses and death of loved ones and a profound sense of insecurity.

Actions

Advocacy

RUNELD is implementing an abstinence only training curriculum for Pre-teens as we believe it is the best option as effort to delay indulgences in risky sexual behavior, improve sexual health and development of values keeps Low County’s HIV infection rate.We also run peer Education groups in youth groups, schools besides involving parents and teachers in Sexual Reproductive health Rights training.

Nutrition and ARV Program

Homa Bay county is one of the hardest hit by the HIV scourge with a prevalence rate of 27.1%. Adults whose HIV condition is unmanaged will often transfer the burden to their relatives but it is their dependents who face the toughest consequences. To this end, RUNELD provides free testing and counseling to residents of Homa Bay. We also follow up with nutrition advice and anti retro viral therapy to the affected. The HIV infected individuals are also clustered into support groups and integrated further into our other programs.