Integrated Prevention Demonstration Campaign Launched in Western Kenya to Fight HIV, Malaria and Diarrhoe...( Innovative Campaign Breaks Down Poli...)

Innovative Campaign Breaks Down Policy and Funding Barriers and Paves Way

for Affordable and Efficient Approach

KAKAMEGA, Kenya, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A new approach to fighting malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and HIV was launched today in the Western Kenyan district of Kakamega in Lurambi division.

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

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 HIV testing sites open from September 16-22, 2008.

"For the first time, a campaign will provide a basic care package of multiple health interventions as encouragement for voluntary HIV counselling and testing. By using PermaNet(R) bed nets, LifeStraw(R) water purifiers, and condoms as encouragement for an HIV test benefiting both HIV positives and negatives, we would enable a large proportion of the population to know their HIV status while protecting them from HIV, malaria and diarrhoea," said Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen and the developer of the concept of the IPD. "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."

One unique feature of the campaign is the rapidly scalable model for HIV testing and counselling that will be created. For the first time, a campaign aims to demonstrate the ability to achieve a national target of 80% of adults knowing their HIV status within one week. This assumes impo
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