The government has assured Kenyans that the 2012/13 Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey (KAIS) will go ahead as scheduled despite conflict emerging in parts of the country.
Reports indicate that many civic activities have stalled following the declaration by the separatist group Mombasa Republican Council (MRC). The Tana Delta clashes, which has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands from their homes, has also chilled activities, with renewed conflict looking possible as Kenya edges closer to the March 2013 polls. But the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) is certain that the national wide survey will roll on despite the tensions being reported.
“The security apparatus are in place to protect the survey”, says Samuel Ogola, population and social statistics senior manager at KNBS.
“This is a government exercise and we expect it to go on as scheduled.”
In October, the Kenya National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP) announced plans to roll out the second KAIS at a cost of US$7.5 million (about Ksh. 630 million). The survey will provide informed details to enable technocrats to establish HIV and AIDS prevalence.
“The evidence that we will gather through this survey will inform the production of the next HIV and AIDS strategic plan”, says Dr. Patrick Mureithi of the National AIDS Control Council.
All Kenyans are expected to participate in the survey which will culminate to a report in September 2013, according to NASCOP officials. In the 2008/09 KAIS, the national prevalence of HIV was placed at 6.3% with women recording a higher prevalence at 8%.
The use of technology in the coming survey is expected to raise interest among Kenyans as it will be the country’s first population-based survey to use information technology. Researchers involved in the survey say the 40 field teams will be equipped with net books for data collection and transmission.
“They will be used in household based surveys”, says Dr. Davies Kimanga, the strategic information, surveillance and research manager at NASCOP. “Data will be collected directly though the gadgets and then transmitted to the national server for analysis.”
According to him, a team has been trained on how to use the portable gadget, which functions like any other computer, only that it is smaller.
For regions that are not connected to the electricity grid, batteries that last at least 12 hours plus a back up pack will be supplied to ensure the full 24 hours are covered.
“We are going to use about 280 net books,” Dr. Kimanga added. “We will also use social media for mobilisation to let people know about KAIS and ensure this information is passed on to the entire country.”
Institutions funding the survey include the Kenyan and US governments, the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and UN agencies.
COMMENTS