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MOMBASA: Injecting drug users (IDUs) constitute 17 per cent of new HIV infections in the Coast region, a report by Reach out Rehabilitation Centre has revealed.
In a report, the Likoni-based centre said that about 2,853 people living with HIV/Aids in Mombasa County die annually.
The centre is one of the only two drug rehabilitation centres in Mombasa where narcotics abuse is rampant. It published its annual report for 2015, which was unveiled in Mombasa on Friday.
The report further revealed that HIV prevalence is high among women as compared to men, adding that women IDUs are more vulnerable to infection.
"In Mombasa County, there are 2,067 new HIV infections with 49,700 drug addicts on treatment. There are 65,785 people living with HIV and Aids," the report says.
The report documents the case of a drug addict who died recently with witnesses suspecting that he could have died of drug overdose.
The man who was only identified as Abdallah was released from prison a month ago and was under medication for HIV and Aids, Tuberculosis and methadone for drug addiction.
"Today morning at around 8am Abdallah asked for water but didn't get and as he kept on asking for the commodity from the open cafés he collapsed and died," said one of the street boys.
Kenya Harm Reduction Network vice chairman Abdallah Ahmed disclosed that about 25 per cent of female drug users pick condoms at the Mewa rehabilitation centre saying majority of the users were commercial sex workers.
"We have over 1,000 clients among them female drug addicts and about 25 per cent of them use condoms daily," said Ahmed.
Nominated MCA Mary Akinyi said the county government was planning to set up a rehabilitation centre that will ensure the over 65,OOO drug users get rehabilitated. Until then, the drug users will keep depending on private rehabilitation centres which are expensive.
Akinyi said drug users depend on medical assisted therapy clinics which are not many and can only admit 18 patients in a week.
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