The National Syndemic Diseases Control Council has revealed that 18.2 per cent of new HIV infections came from men who slept with other men.
According to the council’s 2022 report, 61,650 men who slept with other men accounted for the new HIV infections in the last decade.
The report also revealed that those who identify as transgender recorded 4,370 new HIV infections while female sex workers accounted for 197,096 new infections.
Similarly, 26,673 new infections were recorded among people who inject drugs.
More men died
The council’s report also disclosed that more men died of HIV/Aids compared to women in the last decade.
8,291 men aged 30 and above lost their lives to the disease while 6,923 women died of the same infection. The number of men listed accounted for 37 per cent of all AIDS-related deaths.
The report also revealed that men were less likely to be diagnosed, start and stay on treatment compared to women.
Additionally, the body pointed out that an estimated 883,694 of the 1.4 million people living with HIV aged between 35 and 74 years were diagnosed when they were younger.
36 out of 47 counties had increased new HIV infections between 2021 and 2022. Out of these, fifteen counties accounted for 70 per cent of new HIV infections.
National coordinator, network of people living with HIV in Kenya Nelson Otwoma called on communities to support men’s access to testing and retention to care
“Most of the AIDS-related deaths in 2021 occurred among men who are less likely than women to be diagnosed, start and stay on treatment and reach an undetectable viral load. We call on communities to support men’s access to testing retention to care,” he stated.
