HIV specialist calls for routine testing for adults

An HIV specialist is calling for routine HIV testing for adults to help detect the virus early and ensure timely treatment. Amos Dada, an HIV Antiretroviral Therapy specialist at Malakia Hospital, says everyone aged one year and above should be encouraged to undergo HIV testing. He says HIV testing should be made available to everyone, except children below one year of age. According to Dada, children below one year are still developing their immune systems and may have immune characteristics linked to their mothers.

“I think everybody is eligible for HIV test. Expect children who are less than one year because these are children they are having the immune system of their mothers. So, it means one year and above, these are children who already they have developed their individual immune system,” he said. “So can test on testing and in a society, everybody is supposed to test. Expect kids, this is number one. Number two, there are people who like the hospital but I think to me HIV should be one of the mandatory tests that should be put to do a pre-counseling and after that you,” he added.…