Meru South District - UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative

1.2.8 Poverty
Poverty is one of the major development challenges the district is facing. It is manifested
in various forms, and can be defined both in monetary and human capability terms. It has
significantly reduced the disposable incomes of a large part of the district population over
the years. These phenomenon have impacted negatively on the general welfare of the
community particularly in terms of access to basic services, such as education and health
care.
The major economic activities in the local community include agricultural and livestock
production, sand harvesting and small scale industrial production. These activities have
support systems, variations of weather and slow response to changing situations among
others. These have consequently bogged down the rural population in a vicious cycle of
poverty who are now living on mere subsistence.
Thus the poor population in the district could be defined as largely comprising those who
barely meet their food requirement and have very limited options in meeting other basic
needs such as health care, water and sanitation and education services. The se people are
also unable to fully exploit their comparative advantage in resource endowment
1.2.9 HIV/AIDS
The first AIDS case was diagnosed in Kenya in 1984. Since then the HIV prevalence has
been rising rapidly until now it has been declared a national disaster. This scourge has no
social or economic boundaries, class or religion. It seems to be taking advantage of the
moral weakness in the society.
It should be understood that AIDS continues to spread and will inevitably destroy the
fragile economy and society leading the country into retrogressive state whose
destination is an existence of poverty, perpetual suffering and perhaps eventual
extinction.
Since 1990 admissions at Chuka District Hospital have been increasing due to HIV/AIDS
pandemic. HIV prevalence rate is 30 per cent and is prevalent more in females than males
in 20-40 years age-group, the very group that should be economically active.
The way forward to contain the spread is by intensification of campaigns geared towards
behavioral change, observance of the society cultural beliefs, which are development
oriented. Counseling to encourage voluntary testing, establish Home Base Care
programmes need to be intensified. This includes training families and relatives on the
care of the affected/infected. Syndrome management, inventory of orphans, the infected
and widows/widowers, continue offering services to deserving clients’ e.g. Ante-natal
mothers and also offering anti-retroviral drugs to those infected. Establishment of
recreation centres for peoples living with HIV/AIDS and orphanage homes is necessary.
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