Kenyan President Urges Kenyans To Be Tested for HIV Infection

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Sunday called on Kenyans to undergo testing for HIV infection in order to reduce the country's HIV incidence, Xinhua News Agency reports. Kibaki, speaking at a function in his hometown of Nyeri in the country's Central Province, said that the number of new HIV cases is increasing because Kenyans are afraid to speak openly about AIDS. "The casualty rate is catastrophic and we are losing the most productive people," Kibaki said, adding, "Go and be tested so that you may help reduce the infection rate." According to Xinhua, 1.1 million Kenyans have died of AIDS-related causes since 1984, when the first AIDS case was identified in the country, and at least 2.2 million people in the country are HIV-positive (Xinhua News Agency, 6/16).