Drop in infections: The number of young pregnant women infected with HIV in Zambia has dropped sharply, mainly due to awareness campaigns, said Health Minister Brian Chituwo.
The incidence of HIV among pregnant women aged 15 to 28 has fallen from 28% in 1993 to 16%, Chituwo said.
Zambia is among the countries worst hit by the HIV/Aids pandemic and an estimated one in five adults is infected with HIV. Chituwo said the country faced the challenge of accessing cheap and effective antiretroviral drugs for its sick people.
No plan:The Kenya Society for Deaf Children says there are no trained personnel in the country to sensitise deaf people to the dangers posed by Aids.
Ogutu Adera, a director of the society, says no effort has been made even to produce training documents or information material targeting the deaf on health issues, particularly HIV/Aids.
He says that most medical personnel lack basic communication skills to handle deaf people seeking their attention. ”There is a need to institutionalise these services for deaf children and adults to prevent the epidemic from wiping out the entire deaf population in the country.”
Source: Sapa, allafrica.com