Kenya has in a decade recorded an increase in the number of new HIV infections by more than 2,000 from 32,027 in 2020 to 34,540 in 2021.
This is an increase of 7.3 per cent, with 10 counties accounting for 57 per cent of all the new infections.
The 10 include Nairobi, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Migori, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kakamega, Kisii and Uasin Gishu.
The latest report by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council however notes that Laikipia county on the other hand recorded a 25 per cent reduction of new HIV infections in the same period.
According to the World AIDS report 2022, low-burden counties such as Samburu, Isiolo, Wajir, Marsabit, Turkana, Lamu and Tana River recorded an increase in the number of new HIV infections by more than 30 per cent between 2020 and 2021 with Samburu county recording the highest increase.
From the report, 8 out of every 10 new HIV infections occurred among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years with 20,505 of all new HIV infections occurring among women and girls.
