HIV positive persons in Homa Bay county have taken to throwing away the very help designed to prolong their lives- Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
Just 100 meters from the county referral hospital is a bush, which has been turned into an ARV dump-site, following the puzzling behavior.
A team from NTV at the site found that all the drugs discarded were in good condition- some with an expiry date going as far as the year 2018.
The site has earned the name 'ARV corner' from residents in the area.
Even more disturbing is the news that there exists a second site where people dump ARVs.
According to a report released by the National AIDS Control Council (NACC) Homa Bay had the highest number of new infections in 2013, with 12,940 reported cases.
It therefore comes as cause for concern, that persons tested and found to have the virus continue to reject treatment.
While HIV has no cure, ARVs decrease the patient's total burden of HIV, maintain function of the immune system, and prevents opportunistic infections that often lead to death of the patience.
In essence, ARVs- which are given free of charge in Kenya, give patients a chance to lead normal lives as well as extending their lifespan.
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