By Reporter
The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) should allocate more funds to counties with a high HIV-AIDS burden, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has said.
Wanga emphasised that increased funding is critical to enhancing the fight against the scourge in affected counties.
She expressed concern over the decreasing funding for HIV-AIDS response efforts, which has made managing and combating the disease increasingly difficult.
Many donors who have historically funded HIV response initiatives are now reducing their expenditure.
Homa Bay is among the counties listed as having a high disease burden.
Wanga argued that the county is facing a cash crunch in its HIV management efforts, highlighting the need for proper financial strategies to address the crisis.
In an effort to avert a looming crisis in HIV management, Wanga proposed that HIV prevalence be included as a factor in allocating shared revenue from the National Treasury to county governments.
“There is a need for the CRA to consider allocating more funds to counties with HIV-AIDS burden. HIV prevalence should be considered in the distribution of shared revenue, especially for those counties with a high burden,” Wanga said.
Speaking at Raila Odinga Stadium, where she presided over World AIDS Day celebrations in Homa Bay, Wanga noted that reduced donor funding for HIV management should serve as a warning for government authorities to act proactively.
The event was attended by County Health Executive Roselyn Omollo and Public Health Chief Officer Evelyn Ododa.
Wanga urged the CRA to prioritise counties with high HIV prevalence, noting that health is a devolved function.
“Many county governments with the disease burden do not have the capacity to manage HIV effectively due to inadequate funds. We cannot achieve zero spread without adequate funding from the national government,” she said.
The Homa Bay government has also initiated mentorship programmes involving boys and men in the fight against HIV.
This initiative follows a report showing a rising trend in new HIV infections among men. The county is working closely with partners to curb the spread.
“We have been focusing on adolescent girls and women, but we’re now involving adolescent boys and men to augment the response against the scourge,” the governor said.
The Programmes Manager of The Addis Clinic, Edwin Wara, highlighted a new method aimed at improving ARV adherence among HIV-positive individuals.
The initiative uses SMS reminders to prompt patients to collect their medication.
“We have 56,000 HIV patients whom we remind to take their ARV drugs by sending them SMSs a day before their clinic day so that they go for their drugs. The objective is to enhance adherence to ARV usage,” Wara said.
According to the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, Busia, and Kisii are among the counties with high HIV prevalence.
