The majority of new HIV infections in Kenya occur in persons below the age of 34, President William Ruto has revealed.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, during a high-level meeting on “Multilateralism Works: Leadership and Sustaining the HIV Response to 2030 and Beyond” in New York, Ruto revealed that Kenya is now close to achieving epidemic control, having met the 95-95-95 global targets.
Currently, 95 per cent of people know their HIV status, 100 per cent of those diagnosed are receiving treatment, and 97 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression.
Ruto says despite a 65 per cent reduction in AIDS-related deaths since 2013, the incidence rate remained at 0.39 per 1,000 people in 2023, with the majority of new infections occurring among those under 34 years old.
“The epidemic continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including women, girls, adolescents, and key populations, exacerbated by healthcare inequities, stigma, and discrimination. This intersection of adversities highlights the urgency of scaling up multilateral interventions to address the compounded vulnerabilities faced by these groups,” Ruto stated.
HIV prevention measures
Ruto hailed Kenya, which is the current chair of the United Nations AIDS Board (UNAIDS), for the strides made in combating HIV/AIDS.
“The undeniable success and impact of Kenya’s response to HIV demonstrates the potential of strong partnerships. I must emphasise that our steadfast commitment to multilateralism has been the cornerstone of these achievements, enabling us to implement high-impact interventions that have saved lives, drastically reduced new infections, and significantly improved the quality of life for millions living with HIV,” he added.
According to Ruto, the most vulnerable groups include women, girls and adolescents with the situation exacerbated by healthcare inequities, stigma, and discrimination.
“We are at a critical juncture where traditional strategies are insufficient to meet our goal of ending AIDS by 2030. While past approaches were rooted in healthcare, they often overlooked broader drivers of infection, such as social and economic disparities, poverty, illiteracy, and environmental factors,” he added.
Ruto revealed that Kenya relies on bilateral and multilateral aid to fund its annual HIV budget, which stands at Ksh25.4 billion.
“To this end, Kenya is implementing a Financing Transition Roadmap that focuses on governance, stewardship, domestic resource mobilisation, program efficiency, and sector-wide integration. This roadmap aims to align HIV strategies with national healthcare and economic plans while enhancing accountability,” he added.
