Kenya fights malaria, HIV, diarrheal disease

A new approach to fighting malaria, diarrheal diseases and HIV has been launched in the western Kenyan district of Kakamega in the Lurambi division. The campaign, officially called the Integrated Prevention Demonstration, will allow for more than 40,000 residents of this division to learn their HIV status by visiting one of 30 testing sites open from September 16-22,.

The new campaign will provide a basic care package consisting of a PermaNet long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net, a LifeStraw water purification tool, condoms and educational materials as encouragement for residents to participate in a voluntary HIV counseling and testing campaign.

"For the first time, a campaign will provide a basic care package of multiple health interventions as encouragement for voluntary HIV counseling and testing," said Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, chief executive of Vestergaard Frandsen and the developer of the concept of the IPD, adding: "there are many elements of this campaign that will contribute to Kenya's national scale-up plan for HIV counseling and testing that have never before been attempted, and we believe they hold the potential to reduce suffering and save lives far beyond the borders of Kenya."