The Global Fund HIV Grant Program, managed by the Kenya Red Cross society, has made significant strides in HIV prevention in Kilifi over the past three years.
As the program comes to a close, partners are celebrating the notable reduction in HIV prevalence, which has dropped from 4% three years ago to 2.5% this year.
In a press briefing as the partners were celebrating this milestone, Kenya Red Cross Regional Program Coordinator Salim Ahmed highlighted the program’s achievements. He emphasized that the initiative targeted specific high-risk groups in line with the Kenya AIDS Strategic Framework’s goals, which include reducing HIV prevalence and mortality rates and combating stigma.
The MauMau road -Kamahindu- Matimbei section in Lari sub-county, Kiambu County has temporarily been closed to pave the way for the construction of a concrete pavement along this route.
The 500-meter permanent concrete pavement will take a period of two months for the construction works to be completed.
It is designed to withstand road traffic and weathering actions while ensuring comfortable and safe riding conditions as well as low costs and damage to the environment.
Lari MP Joseph Mburu Kahangara advised Vehicles to use the Kagwe girls road to join the Matimbei – Githunguri road near Gituraini junction.
The road construction and several others are taking place concurrently after the recent launch by area MP.
More than 30 families in Blue Valley estate in Nyeri were on Tuesday night forced to spend the night in the cold after a night fire razed down their wooden houses.
According to the sub-county police commander, Charles Chacha, police have already launched investigations to establish the actual cause of the fire which broke out at around 7 pm in one of the wooden houses before it spread to the neighbouring houses.
“We received a call from the landlord informing us that his timber houses were on fire. The police, fire department, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company intervened and with the help of members of the public, we were able to contain the situation,” said Chacha.
Speaking to KNA, Chacha confirmed that no injuries were reported during the incident. However, he said property valued at Sh900,000 was destroyed in the fire.
“The fire department managed to put out the fire but nothing was salvaged. The landlord says that the total value of damage is approximately Sh 900,000,” said Chacha.
Ten schools in Lodwar town have been selected to pilot the Digital Literacy Project, aimed at introducing young learners to creative coding and robotics in support of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The eight-month pilot, funded by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and implemented by the Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC) and M-Lugha Foundation, will establish ICT clubs where learners in Grades 4-8 will be guided to use “Scratch” – a tool approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
While opening the two-day training for the ten ICT teachers from the selected primary schools, the Chief Officer for Education, Social Protection, and Administration, Moses Korea, emphasized the importance of digital literacy in the current age, especially given the significant gap noted in the arid and semi-arid land counties.
“In the education stakeholders’ trilogy of digital devices, teachers, and content, the child should be at the center,” he said.
The Turkana County Department of Health and Sanitation has commenced its cross-border tuberculosis (TB) screening outreaches, in conjunction with the Centre for Health Solutions (CHS), targeting the migratory populations along the Kenyan-Ugandan border.
Using the One Health approach, the first integrated outreach was conducted in Lokipoto, Letea Ward – Turkana West Sub-county. This outreach marked the first one under the USAID-funded Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA); with CHS as the implementer.
During the three-day outreach held at Lokipoto Dispensary, TB screening was provided using X-ray and sputum samples. Other medical services included outpatient care, antenatal care (ANC), and immunization services.
By the end of the outreach, 540 individuals sought human health services, with 264 screened for TB. Some of the ailments treated malaria, skin diseases, and common infections while the lab services were able to conduct ANC profiles. Additionally, 29,098 livestock were vaccinated and dewormed.
Director of Preventive and Promotive, Dr Bonventure Ameyo, stated that community-level screening would increase case notifications, assisting in reducing TB cases in the county.