Medical Laboratory Services - Embu County

CAPACITY BUILDING

HIV RECENCY TESTING TRAINING

HIV recency testing is a specialized type of HIV test that is designed to detect recent HIV infections. When a person is infected with HIV, it can take several weeks for the virus to show up in standard HIV tests. This is because these tests detect antibodies that the body produces in response to the virus, and it can take some time for these antibodies to develop.

Recency testing, on the other hand, looks for other markers of HIV infection that appear earlier than antibodies. These tests can detect HIV infection within days or weeks of exposure, and they are used to identify people who have recently become infected with the virus.

Rapid Recency assays: These tests use a combination of antibody and antigen detection to identify recent HIV infections.
They can provide results within 30 minutes.

The MOH is conducting a research on the Recency of HIV infections with a multidisciplinary approach and different cadre involvement.

On behalf of the Chief officer public Health, Head of Laboratory Services Embu County officially opened a 4 days training focus on HTS providers and Medical Laboratory officers to enable the Horizontal scale up of HIV Recency Testing.

Our Sectoral Partners have fully supported the training, special thanks to Department of Health Services - Embu County LVCT Kenya Usaid Jamii Tekelezi Programme and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK)

Human papilloma virus ( HPV ) is the leading Sexually transmitted infection transmitted by Carrier Men.
Embu County Lead by Hon. Cecily Mbarire MGH and the Department of Health has embarked on Capacity building of staffs, Upscaling of Cases Screening, Cancer Testing and Reporting in the Laboratory.

The National Cancer Control Programme, the National Cancer Reference Laboratory in collaboration with the Medical Laboratory Services Embu County conducted a 3 day training of Medical Laboratory officers in HPV Testing using Molecular Methods ( Gene Xpert) and Histopathology sample Management ahead to the 5th Commemoration of Cervical Cancer In Embu County tommorrow in an event that will be graced by Cabinet Secretary of Health Susan Nakumincha and a team from the Ministry of Health.

The following are our partners
Clinton Health Access Initiative
Kenya Medical Research Institute
National Cancer Institute of Kenya
Women and Cancer
Jhpiego

Note: Embu level 5 Lab , Ishiara Level 4 and Runyenjes Level 4 labs will Now test HPV in their Labs using modern molecular methods.
All samples from other hospitals will be networked to the 3 testing Hubs for analysis.

Cervical Cancer Facts

Current estimates indicate that every year 5236 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3211 die from the disease

Cervical cancer ranks as the 2nd most frequent cancer among women in Kenya and the 2nd most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

Two human papillomavirus (HPV) types (16 and 18) are responsible for nearly 50% of high grade cervical pre-cancers

HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and most people are infected with HPV shortly after the onset of sexual activity. More than 90% of them clear the infection eventually.

Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV.

Vaccination against HPV and screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions is a cost-effective way to prevent cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly

Source |https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer

Tunga Penetrans is also known as jiggers.

A condition caused by the burrowing of a gravid female jigger flea into the skin of feet, hands, knees, buttocks, etc. It enlarges and forms a round sack full of eggs. This infestation may lead to sickness or even death.

This condition mostly affects children aged 12 years and below but also infests adults.

The following are easy procedures to prevent jiggers infestation:

Source || http://www.jigger-ahadi.org/usafibora