Kisumu County will take part in a new study aimed at determining the causes of death among adults living with HIV in the region.
The study was led by Emory's Child Health Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program and received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to the county health department, the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths, but the underlying cause of death among older adults remains unknown.
The study will be carried out in the Manyatta catchment area, which includes Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) and Siaya District Referral Hospital.
Victor Akello, a researcher leading the Kenyan study, said knowing the definitive cause of death could make a big difference in the fight against HIV.
“This study will leverage extensive testing capacity and partnerships within the Emory network across Africa to help identify and document specific causes of death in adults living with HIV,” Akello said.
JOOTRH currently provides HIV services to more than 6,500 adults and has recorded 116 HIV-related deaths from January 2022 to March 2023.
Ziyad Dangor, co-director of Champs South Africa, said the findings will be made available to local and global health programs, policy makers and health workers to help evaluate and improve existing HIV programmes.
“This will ultimately allow us to better serve underserved communities. This research provides an opportunity to address the challenges faced by adults living with HIV.” said Dangor.
According to statistics, Kisumu County's HIV infection rate is ranked second nationally at 14.5 percent, followed by Homa Bay County at 15.2 percent, Siaya County at 13.2 percent and Migori County at 9.7 percent.
According to the National Syndrome Control Council (NSDCC), the elimination rate of mother-to-child transmission is 5.3 per cent in Homa Bay, 4.3 per cent in Kisumu (5.3 per cent), Migori (5.0 per cent) and Siaya. , compared to 8.6 percent nationally.
Meanwhile, Kisumu County plans to strengthen access to early infant diagnosis (EID) in line with the Universal Health Coverage initiative.
In a meeting with a delegation from the CDC and Ministry of Health, Governor Anyang Nyong'o said Kisumu County Referral Hospital has been given permission to start operating testing services by June.
The governor assured that county governments are committed to providing leadership and support in the transition of viral load testing at facilities.
