SPEECH BY H.E. MARGARET KENYATTA DURING THE HANDING OVER OF THE 13TH BEYOND ZERO MOBILE CLINIC TO KISII COUNTY Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen Before I give you my address, I would like us all to stand and have a moment of silence for the victims and families of the heinous terrorist attack on the bus travelling from Mandera to Nairobi. Ladies and gentlemen, It gives me pleasure to join you today as I hand over the 13th fully kitted ‘Beyond Zero’ Mobile Clinic to Kisii County. It is always a rewarding experience to visit each different County as I make my contribution towards the provision of quality health care to our mothers, children. I made a personal commitment at the 2013 Organization of African First Ladies against AIDS (OAFLA) meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where African First Ladies committed to the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and keeping mothers and children alive. There is no greater satisfaction as a mother, than to fulfil these commitments made on the Global stage, but more importantly to serve the people of Kenya. The ‘Beyond Zero’ campaign is the vehicle that we are using to fulfill these promises but it is not a stand-alone project. It is an initiative to rally leaders, business people and communities towards facilitating the efforts of the Ministry of Health to meet certain goals. These include enhancing the well-being of mothers and children and engaging in HIV control. The HIV prevalence in Kisii is above the national average and it is one of the 10 Counties with the highest rates of new infections. It has over 60,000 people living with HIV, 10% of who are children. Almost 2,000 people died of Aids related complications in 2013 translating to 40 people per week. This is an inordinately high figure and this disease must be confronted with all the available resources. Advancements in the medical field have made it possible to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. We have an obligation to avail and promote access to these therapies. The vulnerability of women and girls in Kisii is increased by the practice of Female Genital Mutilation and early marriages. These marriages deny our girls the opportunity to get an education, and contribute to national development. I call on leaders to help cultivate a culture that inspires young girls and boys to live up to their dreams. The beyond zero team is here today to contribute to the development of Kisii. To promote disease prevention and HIV control and donate this fully kitted clinic so that our mothers and their new born babies no longer have to die from preventable health conditions. The clinic will be used to deliver essential health services such as vaccination, antenatal care, treatment of sick children and parents, HIV testing and treatment. Your County Health Management Team has already drawn a programme for its use by the 41 doctors and over 500 nurses in this County. Kisii County is endowed with scenic beauty and panoramic views. Let me congratulate the hard working people of Kisii County for contributing to Kenya’s food security, the bananas grown here are enjoyed throughout the country. The County Government should help farmers in value addition initiatives to enable them to reap maximum benefits from their hard work. It is encouraging to note the efforts of the County Government towards improving access roads to the market centers and factories. I wish to thank your Governor, James Ongwae, and the people of Kisii County for graciously hosting us. It is now my pleasure to officially hand over the fully kitted mobile clinic kindly donated by Dangote Group to your Governor James Ongwae on behalf the people of Kisii County. Asanteni sana.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:38:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015