- According to a report released by the department of Health services in Kilifi, the HIV prevalence has dropped from four per cent three years ago to 2.5 per cent this year.
- The Kilifi county HIV Program progress report covered data from July 2023 to March 2024.
Image: ELIAS YAA
Kilifi county has recorded a significant reduction in HIV prevalence in the last three years.
According to a report released by the county's department of health services, the HIV prevalence has dropped from four per cent three years ago to 2.5 per cent this year.
The Kilifi county HIV Programme progress report covered data from July 2023 to March 2024.
The report highlights significant achievements in reducing the HIV burden, enhancing treatment coverage and improving the quality of care for those with HIV.
Speaking during the close-out meeting of The Global Fund HIV Grant Programme, managed by the Kenya Red Cross Society, Kaloleni subcounty Aids and STI coordinator Hussein Dimba said the county employed a robust response to the HIV epidemic, characterised by increased testing, treatment and community engagement.
The report indicates that the overall HIV prevalence in Kilifi stands at 2.5 per cent, with 26,307 adults and 1,653 children living with HIV. Key populations, including Female Sex Workers, Men who have Sex with Men, and People Who Inject Drugs, show higher prevalence rates of 16 per cent, 29 per cent, and 17 per cent respectively. These figures underscore the importance of targeted interventions for these vulnerable groups.
“Kilifi North and Malindi subcounties reported the highest HIV prevalence among adults, with rates of 3.6 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively. In terms of treatment, Kilifi North leads with 7,709 people on antiretroviral therapy, followed by Kilifi South with 4,114 people,” read the report.
During the review period, the county made strides in HIV testing and treatment. As of March 2024, the county had recorded 30,321 people on ART, surpassing the initial target of 27,960.
This achievement represents a 108 per cent coverage rate. The county has also maintained a high enrolment rate for newly diagnosed people, with 1,600 out of 1,772 newly diagnosed people enrolled in care, translating to a 90 per cent enrolment rate.
In the report, the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission programme has also seen significant success.
Out of the estimated 1,153 pregnant women living with HIV, 868 received preventive ARVs, achieving a coverage rate of 75 per cent.
However, the county recorded a mother-to-child transmission rate of 8.3 per cnet, highlighting areas that require further attention to reduce transmission rates.
According to Dimba, the expansion of comprehensive care centres within maternal and child health facilities and revival of ART adherence group sessions for pregnant and breastfeeding women played a key role in the success of the programme.
“We also engaged community health workers and mentor mothers for defaulter tracing and enhancing ART adherence. At the same time we conducted training sessions for healthcare workers on updated HIV data collection and reporting tools,” Dimba said.
During the closure meeting, Kenya Red Cross Regional Programme Coordinator Msalem Ahmed said the initiative targeted specific high-risk groups in line with the Kenya AIDS Strategic Framework's goals, which include reducing HIV prevalence and mortality rates and combating stigma and discrimination.
“Today we have come together as partners to reflect and celebrate the milestones that we have achieved in the past three years. From the data that was presented, you could see great improvement; the county government also noted that HIV incidents have gone down,” he said.
Ahmed explained that the programme focused on young people living with HIV/AIDS, HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission, discordant couples, men in high-risk settings and other vulnerable populations.
He credited the success to the collaborative efforts of various partners, including KANCO, AMKENI, MZAZI Foundation, OMARI Project, JIINUE, and Connect to Retain.