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{
    "id": 587694,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/587694/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 104,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Machage",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 179,
        "legal_name": "Wilfred Gisuka Machage",
        "slug": "wilfred-machage"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Anybody in Kenya may have been a victim either through having a relative affected or infected by the HIV/AIDS virus. This is a scourge and pandemic that requires our intense participation in trying to change the knowledge, attitude and practice in order to control it. Indeed, it requires that dissemination of services is not only done at the national level, but also pushed down to the grassroots. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 gave us a valuable tool; the establishment of the county governments - not only governments of management but even financial muscling. We also know that the health function has been devolved to the county governments. Therefore, it remains the important primary area where the management of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has to be critically considered. This calls for an amendment to the mother Act. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have amended Section 2. I have also added a new clause. But the important clause is 12A which creates the county control committees. This Bill seeks to amend the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Act to ensure that there is participation of county governments in the management, prevention and control of HIV/AIDS as a health issue, which is a devolved function under the Constitution. The Bill also seeks to include the participation of county governments in formulation and implementation of policies and strategies formulated by the National AIDS Control Council for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in the counties. The Bill also seeks to provide for the establishment of the county HIV/AIDS prevention and control committees at the county level due to the fact that access to health facilities and medication for the management of HIV/AIDS in Kenya continues to be a challenge at all levels of medical facilitation. It is important to note that this is not a money Bill. The key issue is to facilitate the county governments to make decisions at all levels of the control of this scourge. This includes education of the people, facilitation on proper diagnosis of patients, starting early treatment with Anti-retroviral medication, management of the already afflicted and infected cases and knowledge to the people not to be infected. This Bill intends to do that through the establishment of a committee within the department responsible for health within the county. The county HIV/AIDS prevention and control committee shall consist of one person with knowledge and experience in matters relating to HIV/AIDS prevention and control, appointed by the county governor who shall be the chairperson of that committee. It shall also consist of a person nominated by the county executive officer in charge of health in the county, who shall be the secretary to the committee; one man and one woman, with knowledge and experience in matters relating to health within the county, nominated by the councils and last but not least, one man and one woman appointed by the county governor to represent such special interests within the county, as the governor shall determine. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}