The Department of Children Services in Nyamira county has partnered with an NGO known as Nuru Ya Mtoto to reduce the viral load among children.
The non-governmental organisation assists Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) living with HIV/AIDS in the county to reduce the viral load.
Nuru ya Mtoto will implement a programme dubbed 'Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)' aimed at improving health services for OVCs living with HIV/AIDS in the region.
Bob Odhiambo, the assistant project coordinator, said the OVCs living with HIV/ AIDS are neglected and never enrolled in sustainable health programmes to help them suppress their viral loads.
He further said they (OVCs) develop health-related complications at a very tender age, and their lives become a misery, leading to early deaths.
“Nuru ya Mtoto has initiated a programme dubbed 'Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)' to enrol them in quality health programmes to receive medication and essential commodities."
"The children are to be monitored closely to help them learn to accept and manage their health challenges,” he said.
"Our programme is supporting the formation of county and sub-county Technical Working Groups (TWAG), which will be trained to ensure that OVCs efficiently access deserved health services and also enjoy their childhood life just like their 'healthy' counterparts," Odour said.
He said that some of the responsibilities of the TWG will include sensitisation and dissemination of the CQI policy and its programme, establishment and support of a reporting system.
This is to ensure there is consistent follow-up and reporting of the programmes' progress to key stakeholders including the beneficiaries and the benefitting community.
The other objective is to establish implementation teams up to the village level for the community to own the programme and accept to enroll many beneficiaries to it.
"Orphans and vulnerable children especially those with health conditions and disabilities, are highly discriminated against in society, and we appeal to community members to be considerate enough and accommodate such vulnerable children."
"This is because they have a right to health and belonging, just like other children who have the privilege of accessing all they need for their holistic growth," DCC Obunga said.
Nyamira South Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Florence Obunga said the programme is very timely in ensuring the OVCs in Nyamira are given priority and access the basic right to health services indiscriminately, irrespective of their social and economic status.
