HIV and AIDs is on the rise in Northeastern Province. This is according to medical officials.

Speaking yesterday during a workshop meant to come up with local funding mechanism, northeastern provincial director of public health Dr Mohamed Abdi sheikh said it was worrying that the disease was rising at a high rate.

He said that the rate had shot from 1.2 percent to 1.8 in the last two years. This he attributed to numerous challenges ranging from stigma, retrogressive cultural practices and people living in denial.

"Our people are still living in denial for fear of stigma they would face from the community when they are known, this is a challenge in the fight against the disease," said Dr. Mohamed.

Addressing stakeholders drawn from the Garissa, wajir and Mandera counties, Dr Mohamed said that there were still few health workers in the region to assist in tackling the disease.

Speaking at the same forum Northeastern HIV and AIDS control council co-ordinator Omar Mwanjama challenged the locals to be on fore front in fighting the disease saying that everybody was infected or affected by it. He said it was important to find local sustainable financing for HIV and AIDS instead of relying on donor funding.