Homa Bay: The National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) has begun the review of its strategic plan to step up efforts in the fight against HIV infections in Homa Bay County.

According to Kenya News Agency, the Council's Regional Coordinator, Stephen Oyugi, stated that the review will incorporate new methods targeting specific population segments to combat HIV infection effectively. Oyugi made these remarks during the official launch of the review exercise in Homa Bay town over the weekend.

Present at the ceremony were Homa Bay County Chief Officer for Public Health Evelyn Ododa and the County AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Coordinator Omondi Obunga. Oyugi emphasized that the review aims to address new HIV infections and manage AIDS within the county. Each population segment, he noted, has unique factors that increase their risk of contracting HIV.

'We are reviewing our strategies for fighting HIV infections. This involves evaluating the existing methods applied to each target population. Our aim is to develop strategies that can work well for each population segment,' Oyugi explained.

Ododa expressed optimism that the review would improve AIDS management and reduce new HIV infections in the county. 'HIV is a serious problem in our society, and reviewing these strategies will enable us to achieve the intended goals,' she stated.

She further mentioned the integration of HIV support services with certain non-governmental organizations that previously provided care to HIV patients before the U.S. Government suspended USAID services. These services include HIV testing, prevention using Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) drugs, and condom distribution. Infected individuals are enrolled for treatment through anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) and anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

'We have integrated anti-HIV services that USAID-sponsored organizations used to offer. We are providing these services at our health facilities to enhance the management of HIV and AIDS,' Ododa added.

Obunga highlighted the formulation of messages tailored to promote behavior change among residents. 'We are focusing on giving our people information that can influence them to change behaviors that promote HIV infection,' Obunga said.