By ELIZABETH OJINA, ELIZABETH MERAB

Widowed and with four children, Ms Florence Atieno has been living positively with HIV for 10 years now.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, Ms Atieno, who lives in Nyalenda slums in Kisumu County, could easily access her antiretroviral therapy drugs (ARVs).

As a registered client at the Kisumu County Referral Hospital, she would pick up her drugs on a monthly basis.

But with the economic challenges brought about by the pandemic, the 45-year-old mother says she is hesitant to go to the facility for fear of contracting the coronavirus, which could complicate her condition.

She also cannot afford a mask, which is now mandatory when out in public. She is among hundreds of people living with HIV who are avoiding visiting local health facilities to collect their drugs for fear of contracting Covid-19.

“You know, people living with HIV are more at risk of suffering the adverse effects of Covid-19,” the mother of four says. Read more via Nation