Question and Answer with Frederick Sawe, MBChB, MMED, Deputy Director, Kenya Medical Research Institute / Walter Reed Project HIV Program

1. In the part of Kenya where you operate, what has made the biggest difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS?
   The biggest difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Kericho, Kenya is the huge scale and magnitude of the problem in an area of limited recourses. Out of a population of 2.5 million people we expect about 100,000 HIV/AIDS cases, most of who are not aware about their status. Identifying them through HIV and Testing Counseling (HCT) so we can provide HIV care, treatment and prevention, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV infection (PMTCT) is very challenging and it calls for innovative ways to reach them including, stand alone HCT, Mobile HCT, Door To Door HCT, and Moonlight HCT. Still there is much to do. Providing care and treatment means working through weak public health care systems.
2. What is your greatest need?
   Continued resources, so we can continue providing and scaling up comprehensive HIV care, treatment and prevention services. We also need to continue our efforts to find an effective HIV vaccine, better drugs and ways of managing the HIV disease.
3. What is the one thing you would have others know about HIV/AIDS?
   That even though substantial progress has been made in providing compressive HIV care, treatment and prevention services in resource limited settings, much still remains to be done and now is the time to commit ourselves to finding a globally effective HIV vaccine.
4. What can a community do to make a difference?
   By continuing to take a keen interest and engagement in the progress that is being made against HIV/AIDS and provide the necessary moral, ethical, resources and support as necessary to keep the momentum of the progress going to full elimination of the HIV disease.

View Question and Answer with Col. Nelson Michael, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Division of Retrovirology