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Good news on prevalence rates

    JOHANNESBURG

    Despite a decline in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Kenya, the pandemic remains a huge challenge, the Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium Organisation (KANCO) said on Monday.

    A recent surveillance report by the National AIDS and STD Control Programme shows a drop in prevalence rates from 13 percent in 2001 to 10 percent in 2002.

    "While there has been a concerted nation-wide response to the pandemic, efforts are hampered by issues of stigma, care, support and funding," KANCO policy programme manager, Esther Gatua, told the UN news service PlusNews.

    Gatua said HIV-positive mothers who had received nevirapine were still breastfeeding because of stigma and fear of being exposed within the community. Research has shown that nevirapine helps reduces the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by up to 50 percent.

    "NGOs are finding it increasingly difficult to provide the necessary care and support without proper funding," Gatua added.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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