Thirteen counties have cut new HIV infections by nearly half in one year, helped by a mix of interventions that included viral suppression in the HIV-positive people taking ARVs.
The rapid cuts in new infections mean Kenya is on track to end HIV as a public health threat by 2027, as directed by President William Ruto.
Data from the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council shows Mombasa, which reduced new infections by 52 per cent between 2021 and 2022, leads the pack.
“Counties of Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Lamu and Kilifi recorded a decline of more than 50 per cent in new HIV infections between 2021 and 2022,” Douglas Bosire, programme officer, county support division at the NSDCC, told journalists in Machakos.
Nine other counties—Tana River, Kwale, Nairobi, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, Kisumu, Kisii and Nyamira—cut new infections by between 49 per cent and 44 per cent respectively, the 2023 status report presented by Bosire shows.
All counties made improvements in reducing new infections, but Mandera made the lowest progress cutting infections by only eight per cent.
Bosire, who spoke at a media workshop on the triple threat of HIV, teenage pregnancies and sexual and gender violence, said new HIV infections have been falling in the last 10 years.
The new infections reduced by 78 per cent from 101,448 in 2013 to 22,154 in 2022.
“This is attributable to targeted HIV prevention interventions by the government through the Ministry of Health,” he said.
Reducing new infections is critical to ending HIV as an epidemic. It also saves money because maintaining one HIV-positive person on ARVs for one year currently costs Sh24,000 according to NSDCC estimates. The drugs must be taken for life because HIV has no cure. In the absence of treatment, people with Aids typically survive for about three years.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/Aids as a public health threat by 2030, generally considered by the UN as a 90 per cent reduction in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 2030, compared to 2010 levels. President Ruto early this year pushed Kenya’s goal to 2027.
The country’s efforts toward this goal are guided by the Kenya Aids Strategic Framework (KASF II) which aims to cut all new infections by 75 per cent by 2025 and reduce by half all Aids-related deaths, compared to 2019 levels.
Kenya would also need to cover half of all HIV-related expenses, yet it currently manages only 34 per cent, with the rest coming from donors.
Bosire said the HIV situation in Kenya 2023 report shows infection rates among young people (15-24) remain concerning.
The report shows About 3,244 new HIV infections occurred among adolescents aged 10-19 years in 2022, with young people (15-24 years) accounting for 41 per cent of all new HIV infections in 2022.
That was partly driven by poor awareness with only half (47.3 per cent) of young women aged 15-19 having knowledge about HIV prevention compared to 48.7 per cent among young men, according to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.
“Knowledge of HIV prevention increases with education level and is lowest among those with no education,” Bosire said.
Most new infections in adolescents came from Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Migori, Nakuru, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Kisii, Kajiado and Kakamega counties respectively.
“These 10 counties account for 59 per cent of all new infections among adolescents in 2022,” Bosire said.
He also noted that women aged 15-24 years are disproportionately affected by infections.
The status report shows they are approximately four times more likely to become infected with HIV than young men.
Currently, about 1.4 million Kenyans are living with HIV and about 1.27 million are on treatment.
PS for Medical Services Harry Kimtai, in August during the Maisha Conference in Mombasa, said, “It is our duty to persist in our pursuit of innovative interventions to eliminate Aids as a public health threat in Kenya.”
He added, “While Aids-related deaths are on a downward trajectory, the loss of lives remains unacceptable. The decline in HIV-specific funding from external sources is a trend that is being observed.”
