First Lady Margaret Kenyatta led a strong delegation to the opening sessions of the International Aids Conference in Amsterdam Monday where Kenya’s Big-4 development model received special accolades.
Speakers at one of the Plenary sessions said the Big 4 Agenda driven by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Government puts health at the centre of Kenya’s social development fulcrum by investing in human capital.
UNAIDS Regional Director for West and Central Africa Dr. Patrick Brenny affirmed that the Big 4 pillar on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has the potential to return huge health dividends for the country because it ensures nobody is left behind including those affected by HIV/AIDS.
He assured Kenya of continued support by UNAIDS to achieve its UHC alongside other Sub-Saharan countries.
[caption caption="First Lady Margaret Kenyatta in a session during the International Aids Conference in Amsterdam on 23/7/2018"]
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“UNAIDS is committed to supporting the UHC in Kenya and other Sub-Saharan countries," Dr. Brenny asserted.
Enhanced manufacturing to create jobs, provision of affordable housing and enhanced food security and nutrition are the other pillars of the Big 4 agenda.
He spoke during one of the AIDS2018 plenaries organized by Kenya, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization.
Ending the AIDS epidemic and achieving UHC by 2030 in Africa formed the topic of discussion where top health officials from Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda and Nigeria comprised the group of panellists
Hundreds of participants that included the Kenyan delegation comprised of the First Lady, Chief Administrative Secretary for Health Dr. Rashid Aman, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Control Council, Dr. Nduku Kilonzo and NACC board chair Ms Angeline Siparo.
Dr Aman gave a run-down of the key achievements made in the war against HIV/AIDS in Kenya adding that the country can leverage on lessons, expertise and infrastructure it has developed over the years in response to HIV/AIDs pandemic to accelerate attainment of UHC.
These achievements include reforms at the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to provide expanded health protection to a large number of Kenyans and upgrading of key health facilities.
[caption caption="A session during the International Aids Conference in Amsterdam on 23/7/2018"]
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“For us to achieve our UHC goals, HIV services including testing, ARVs and condoms must all be part of the health benefits package covered under insurance," he told the plenary.
Dr Aman said the inclusion of HIV services in the essential benefits packages will encourage people living with the disease to enrol in the NHIF.
Other achievements made by Kenya include reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths, a significant drop in maternal deaths and scaled-up access to ARVs.
Key challenges include keeping a bursting youth population healthy against the threat of HIV infections and epidemiological transitions which have witnessed a steep increase in non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as Diabetes and Cancer.
“While HIV contribution to the burden of disease has decreased by 61 per cent during the 2015-2016 period, the combined contribution of NCD has increased by 57 per cent in the same period," Dr. Amman affirmed.
He added: “We are also aware of the contribution of HIV to increases in NCDs such as Cervical cancers and ARV-related diabetes, making NCDs HIV co-morbidities”.
[caption caption="A session during the International Aids Conference in Amsterdam on 23/7/2018"]
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AIDS2018, the world’s largest conference on a single global health issue is being hosted at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre.
It is being attended by over 15,000 researchers, activists, policy makers and representing over 160 countries.
The First Lady will give a keynote address in one of the plenary meetings on Tuesday.
