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K A W I

Kenya AIDS Watch Institute

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KAWI statement on Zinc Supplement

OUR MOTTO

Every day, 700 Kenyans die of HIV/AIDS related diseases. AIDS is spreading rapidly. We join this war because "we are determined to make a difference."

A Ravaged Continent:

KAWI's brochure, depicting, among others South African Aids Campaigner and victim Nkosi Johnson. Africa is the continent most affected by HIV/AIDS and the efforts made by organizations are paying dividends in alleviating the situation.

K A W I

254-02-2726083

The National AIDS Hotline is manned by volunteers and funded by well-wishers. Since inception, the number has been accessed by people from as far afield as Kenya's North Eastern Province. KAWI hopes to be able to cope with the high demand for this service and asks for support to:

Maintain this essential service, now provided 12 hours a day.
Extend it to operate 24 hours a day.
Install additional hotlines to cope with the demand.

For offers, contact KAWI at the contacts below the page.

NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE LAUNCHED BY KAWI

"The Kenya Aids Watch Institute (KAWI) launched a National Aids Hotline to give information to individuals and organizations on issues related to the disease.

Prof Thairu, a KAWI director, gave the hotline number as 726083 Nairobi and appealed to Telkom Kenya to provide a toll-free telephone line so that those who cannot afford telephone charges can benefit from the hotline service.

The service, which is nationwide and manned for 12 hours each day by experienced staff, took effect from September 1, 2001. KAWI has plans to graduate the service to a 24-hour facility.

The AIDS hotline is used as a tool to disseminate information on how to deal with various situations related to the disease to organizations and anyone who requires urgent assistance and guidance.

The need to set up such a service arose from the numerous inquiries from a cross-section of Kenyans in need of information on the issue of HIV/Aids.

Speaking to members of the press at the launch, Prof Thairu said that the magnitude and impact of the disease in Kenya is a major public health and economic problem.

“The problem of Aids continues to create a severe negative socio-economic impact that has had disastrous consequences on our development agenda”, he explained.

The government cannot fight the scourge alone. Therefore, organizations, students, the media, donors and the rest have been called upon to pool their resources to tackle the problem, hoping that with the additional help of the hotline, the objective will be achieved.

Amongst KAWI’s main objective is to work with the community at all levels to break communication and cultural barriers against the war on Aids and called upon counselors and experts from all fields to join them and volunteer services so that initiative can serve all." (From the People Daily, The Daily Nation, The East Arican Standard, on Thursday, August 16, 2001. The article also featured in the news editions of both KBC and KTN.)

VOLUNTARY COUNSELLING AND TESTING CENTRES

Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centres were launched by the Government to help the public get expert attention with regard to their HIV status. The counsellors will listen and share information on how to stay HIV negative. They will also give guidance on how to take care between one and one's partner if one has HIV. At a VCT Centre, one can talk with an expert and decide when one wants to take an HIV test.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why should you get tested?
Who should get tested?
When should you get tested?
How do you get tested?
Who sees the result?
How can you help stop the spread of HIV?
Two good reasons to get an HIV test:

If positive?

If negative?

The counsellors at VCT Centres are adequately trained to answer these questions and many more. It is your decision, but they help you along the way, because HIV/AIDS is no longer a personal issue. It is a national talk-point.

Being certain that you do not carry HIV will go a long way to helping you take precautionary care to ensure you remain negative.

HIV-positive people are also helped to live positively with the virus and to prevent them from spreading it to others.

In Kenya, there are VCT Centres in every corner of the country. So those with queries are sure to get adequate answers wherever they may be. These centres go a long way to addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS in the layman's language, making the information on the topic user-friendly and relevant to the populace.