Stigma and lack of medical facilities has over the years led to an exponential rise of HIV infections in Ndavaya location of Kwale District. Community members have had to contend with walking for 25 kilometers to Kinango town to be tested for HIV as well as have their CD4 count taken.
The distance compounded with a poor road network and high poverty incidences has led to non adherence of drugs for people living with HIV and AIDS as well as high mortality rates from the disease.
Mary Kilacho, 40, has been living positively with HIV for the last 10 years. She has been making four trips every month to the District Health Center in Kinango to access anti-retroviral drugs.
“I am the sole breadwinner for my four children. My husband passed away two years ago from the disease. I work as a casual laborer and with the current drought, I hardly get any jobs to buy food leave alone for transport to the health centre to get ARVs”, says Mary Kilacho.
ActionAid and a local community group, Zingatia CHAT (Community Health Awareness Team) jointly partnered to build Ndavaya Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) center that was recently launched by the area District Officer Njuguna Mwangi and flanked by East Africa Assembly Legislator Saphina Kwekwe.
The centre comprises of a testing lab for rapid testing and a general medical lab. The Government has since recognized the center and provides testing re-agents and other palliative drugs. The group is lobbying the government to attach a lab technician to the facility.
“We are very happy to have this facility with us. Since we opened the centre a month ago, we have seen more people coming for HIV and other tests and we anticipate improved health for the community”. Said the group’s chairperson Thomas Kwaka.
ActionAid has facilitated training for Zingatia Chat in home based care and patient support and counseling skills. Staff working at the centre are volunteers from the group save for the lab technician who is paid by the group.
“We charge a minimal fee for all other tests except for HIV which is free. The group also offers mobile charging services to the community. The money raised has been used to pay the lab technician and buying lab apparatus”, said Thomas.
The centre also acts as a meeting venue for the groups meeting.