javimg, Fast post there & an excellent news item;
Thanks!
Here is the text;
Republic of Kenya Adopting New HIV Self Testing Program
Policy Promotes Oral Fluid Testing
LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., Aug 28, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Calypte Biomedical Corporation (OTCBB: CBMC), a manufacturer of medical diagnostic tests for the rapid detection of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), announced today its support for the guidance policy unveiled last week by the National AIDS Control Council (NACC) of Kenya gives Kenyans personal control over their HIV testing and encourages them to use non-invasive tests such as HIV-1/2 OMT (oral fluid) rapid tests. Calypte has provided Kenya, through the National AIDS and STD Control Program (NASCOP) of the Ministry of Health, 10,000 Aware(R) HIV-1/2 OMT (oral fluid) rapid tests which will be available to the public.
"An important facility or tool (is) to identify who needs to be treated - the sooner the better - and thereby making an important contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS," His Excellency Peter Ogego, Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, noted at the time of accepting of Calypte OMT kits while in Washington DC..
Mr. Roger I. Gale, Calypte's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, "The Republic of Kenya is now expanding its HIV/AIDS testing, which up to now has been blood-based testing, with the availability of simple, accurate non-invasive tests such as our Aware(R) HIV-1/2 oral fluid rapid tests. Testing is the best way to identify people living with HIV/AIDS who need to enter treatment or intervention programs. The Kenyan government provides access to antiretroviral drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS at no-cost, and we are pleased to be associated with the continuing improvement in the HIV situation in Kenya."
Professor Alloys S.S. Orago, Director of NACC Kenya, recently at a press conference in Nairobi said that Kenya is one of three African nations that recently have made significant progress in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. Professor Orago said, "These (Kenyan AIDS) figures illustrate the magnitude of the inherent task in providing prevention, treatment, care and support services to ensure universal access." NASCOP is involving 10,000 people in the pilot phase of an evaluation project using the Calypte oral fluid rapid test kits.
Oral fluid testing is expected to come into general use in Kenya by the end of this year when a government policy directive is released.
About Kenya:
According to the December 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update, published jointly by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS ("UNAIDS") and the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 million people in Kenya live with AIDS. "Kenya is still contending with a serious AIDS epidemic despite evidence of declining HIV prevalence." National adult HIV prevalence fell from 10% in the late 1990s to just over 6% in 2005.
The country recorded 55,000 new HIV cases in 2006, compared with 85,000 in 2004. HIV prevalence in urban areas is about 8.3%, compared with 4% in rural areas. In addition, deaths from AIDS-related causes decreased from 120,000 in 2003 to 85,000 in 2006.
AI
