Cultural and religious leaders in Homa Bay County have united to fight the high HIV prevalence in the region.
Kennedy Odhiambo the Men to Men (FEMNET) Regional Program Coordinator said some of these cases of HIV infection are caused by cultural practices that are outdated.
Odhiambo said they are empowering religious and cultural leaders because through them they are able to target the community directly to change their their mentality o the practices.
He said after training them, they will be able to talk openly in villages and churches and sensitize locals on the need to prevent the spread of HIV in the region.
The coordinator said that the culture of fish for sex along the county’s beaches and fish landing communities, and wife inheritance as one of the reasons leading to the spread of HIV.
“There is need for a conceited effort of the people, county government, the church and the religious leaders to fight the scourge,” said Odhiambo.
Pastor Nichodemus Onyango of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Homa Bay blamed the spread of HIV on cultural practices which states that the woman is for the society and when she is married is not for one person but for the community.
He said the region is branded as the worst county when it comes to HIV.
Pastor Onyango said they will be advocating for one man one wife and not encourage the culture of exchanging women.
“The church emphasises on faithfulness on how spouses handle each other and this is what we will be pushing for,” said Pastor Onyango stressing that SDA preaches monogamy.