In-depth: Countdown to Universal Access
KENYA: Food and ARVs: "I will survive..." (multimedia)
Photo: Allan Gichigi/IRIN
Mbula Waema and the youngest of her 10 dependants
MAKUENI, 7 September 2009 (PlusNews) - More than 200,000 Kenyans now have access to free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, but in a country that experiences frequent food shortages, drugs are rarely enough to keep HIV-positive patients healthy.
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IRIN/PlusNews visited the homestead of Mbula Waema, an HIV-positive widow living in a district of eastern Kenya hit by a food crisis resulting from drought and crop failure.
Mbula receives free ARVs from her local clinic, and is a member of Zingatia Maisha [Swahili for focus on life], an ARV-adherence support group run by the African Medical and Research Foundation. But while Mbula adheres to the drug prescription, she struggles to feed her 10 dependants - and herself.
(kr/lt)
[This article is the fourth part of an IRIN/PlusNews series on "Countdown to Universal Access"]
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Universal Access - an overview
Mapping universal access progress
Towards Universal Access: 2009 progress report
Towards Universal Access: 2008 progress report
Towards Universal Access: 2007 progress report
Universal Access by 2010
What Countries Need. Investment needed for 2010 Targets
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