Delegates meet in Nairobi for HIV/Aids summit

Delegates from 25 countries met in Nairobi Wednesday for a HIV/Aids stakeholders summit meant to look at ways of preventing the spread of the pandemic.

The summit aims at coming up with new innovative ideas that would enable the region to reduce the spread of HIV/Aids.

The summit heard that male circumcision is being used as an HIV and AIDs prevention method with Kenya and South Africa targeting to circumcise 4 million people by the end of the year.

National AIDS/STI Control Programme -NASCOP director Nicholas Muraguri said studies have shown that a higher number of uncircumcised male are at a higher risk of contracting the HIV virus and the two governments would be offering door to door circumcision services.

Kenya's minister for special programmes Esther Murugi addressing the summit said Kenya still requires additional funding to support HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes as well as mitigating the social economic challenges.

Murugi said that with sufficient focus, commitment and partnerships, capacity building can successfully be implemented that could lead to sustainable and far-reaching health impacts on HIV/Aids in the region.

The minister said Sub- Saharan Africa was the most affected by HIV/Aids in the world with an estimated 22.5 million people living with the virus, which is equivalent to two thirds of the global total.

"In 2009, around 1.3 million people died from AIDS in Sub- Saharan Africa while 1.8 people were infected with HIV," said Murugi.

She added that AIDS epidemic in Sub- Saharan Africa continues to devastate communities, eroding decades of development progress.

Statistics show that HIV/Aids prevalence in Kenya stands at 6.3 percent, a drop from the 7.1 percent recorded in 2007, a marked reduction achieved through concerted efforts by the government.

The minister complimented development partners, Community Based Organizations (CBO's), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) and other stakeholders for their efforts in reducing the impact of the virus in the country.