Kenya Considers Mandatory HIV Testing

Kenya’s National AIDS Control Council and STI Control Program (NASCOP) may soon turn to mandatory HIV testing, Voice of America (VOA) reports.

About 1.5 million Kenyans are estimated to be living with HIV, or about 6.3 percent of the adult population. Prevalence of the disease in Kenya is such that only sub-Saharan neighbors South Africa and Nigeria have more HIV-positive citizens.

Analysts say the country has reduced HIV rates over the past decade, but only about 60 percent of Kenyans have been tested for the virus. NASCOP wants more than 80 percent of the population tested by 2013.

New hospital procedures could mandate HIV testing for adults seeking treatments for illnesses such as malaria and for children seeking any medical treatment.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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