Saturday, November 9, 2019. The United States Ambassador to Kenya, Kyle McCarter visited the CHS supported Makueni County Referral Hospital to participate in the HEI (HIV-exposed infants) graduation ceremony, interact with the health care workers at the various service delivery points within the Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) and learn more about the U.S government’s financial support towards the provision of quality HIV/TB prevention, treatment and care services.
“The American people love you very much, your stories are very dear to us. Celebrating these HIV free infants is a good story on how we are winning the fight against HIV. Our friendship becomes stronger when we interact with our beneficiaries,” said the Kyle McCarter after listening to a beneficiary story shared by Mary Malonza, a *mentor mother at the facility on her journey living with HIV and her joy after her son tested negative after 18months of follow up.
*HIV-positive women whose children have tested negative for HIV after 18 months of being exposed and are now mentoring and supporting other women living with HIV navigate through the health system
In his remarks, the CHS, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paul Wekesa gave an overview of the organisation’s targetted interventions towards the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT). “We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and provide high-quality HIV prevention, treatment and care services. Through the partnership we have had with the County Government of Makueni, CHS has identified 862 HIV infected pregnant and lactating mothers in the last 12 months. Through targeted interventions such as the provision of antiretroviral therapy, monitoring for viral suppression and support for the mother-baby pairs we have been able to avert HIV transmission among 829 children, a 96.3% achievement,” he said.
With support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CHS is currently offering PMTCT services in over 400 supported health facilities in Makueni, Kitui, Machakos, Siaya, Murang’a, Nyeri and Nyandarua counties. Currently, CHS has over 7,000 HIV Exposed Infants enrolled and on follow up in the last 24 months.
