{"id":111955,"date":"2025-03-14T12:03:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T12:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/03\/14\/cs-barasa-flags-off-arv-consignment-assures-of-uninterrupted-hiv-care\/"},"modified":"2025-03-14T12:03:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T12:03:42","slug":"cs-barasa-flags-off-arv-consignment-assures-of-uninterrupted-hiv-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/cs-barasa-flags-off-arv-consignment-assures-of-uninterrupted-hiv-care\/","title":{"rendered":"CS Barasa flags off ARV consignment, assures of uninterrupted HIV care"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 \u2013 Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has reaffirmed Kenya\u2019s dedication to providing uninterrupted care for individuals living with HIV, despite recent challenges stemming from a freeze in foreign aid from the United States.<\/strong><\/p>\n

During a ceremony at the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) in Nairobi, CS Barasa flagged off a substantial consignment of HIV-related medical supplies, underscoring the government\u2019s commitment to sustaining HIV treatment and prevention services nationwide.<\/p>\n

Barasa emphasized that the country currently possesses ample stocks of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and HIV testing kits, ensuring continuous treatment for those affected.<\/p>\n

She highlighted that specific supplies, including Tenofovir\/Lamivudine\/Dolutegravir (TLD), pediatric ARVs, Nevirapine suspension, and various HIV testing commodities, are sufficient to last for nearly two years.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur priority is, and always will be, to ensure that patients receive quality care, with adequate and readily available commodities,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

The country has over 2 million packs of TLD, the main ART regimen, covering approximately 4.7 months of stock.<\/p>\n

An additional 4.8 million packs are expected by June 2025, extending the stock to more than 11 months by midyear.<\/p>\n

More than 326,000 packs of Abacavir\/Lamivudine (120\/60mg) dispersible tablets are available for pediatric treatment, sufficient for 7.4 months.<\/p>\n

Plans are underway to introduce a fixed-dose pediatric combination from August, with an 18-month stock already on order.<\/p>\n

For infant prophylaxis to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV, 510,000 bottles of Nevirapine suspension are currently available, covering 8.4 months of stock.<\/p>\n

The country also maintains a robust supply of HIV testing kits, including 8.3 million Trinscreen tests, which equate to a 10-month stock, and 1.48 million HIV\/Syphilis duo tests, covering 14.5 months.<\/p>\n

To support uninterrupted service delivery, the Ministry of Health is expediting the delivery of over 52,000 Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) tests by April 2025.<\/p>\n

Viral load testing remains a priority, with 446,436 tests available, a 3.5-month stock, and additional supplies expected by April 2025.<\/p>\n

In terms of preventive measures, the government has secured over 1.6 million male condoms, with a recent distribution of 9 million pieces to health facilities.<\/p>\n

To further bolster HIV prevention efforts, the ministry is expediting the delivery of an additional 28 million condoms, with another 93 million under procurement at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).<\/p>\n

The country is home to approximately 1.4 million people living with HIV, has made significant strides toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, achieving 98-98-94, reflecting strong diagnosis, treatment coverage, and viral suppression rates.<\/p>\n

The flagged-off consignment from MEDS, operating as an agent of KEMSA, aims to ensure that all health facilities across the country are adequately stocked with essential HIV health products.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 \u2013 Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has reaffirmed Kenya\u2019s dedication to providing uninterrupted care for individuals living with HIV, despite recent challenges stemming from a freeze in foreign aid from the United States. During a ceremony at the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) in Nairobi, CS Barasa flagged off […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111955\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}