Kenya faces the risk of losing progress made in combating HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis as new infections among young people aged 18 to 28 continue to rise, coupled with decreasing funding for these diseases. Dr. Samuel Kinyanjui, Country Director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, highlighted another concern: the increasing rates of HIV infections among children due to Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) in arid and semi-arid counties.
The lack of funding for the distribution of commodities, which exposes young people to unprotected sex, is a significant factor contributing to the surge in new HIV infections among this demographic. Dr. Kinyanjui raised the question of why nearly 60 percent of new infections, according to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2022 (KDHS, 2022), are occurring among young people as the prevalence of HIV continues to climb.
“It’s because they are engaging in unprotected sex,” he said during the opening of a Wellness Clinic in Mathare, Nairobi at the weekend.
He noted that most new infections are occurring primarily in informal settlements such as Mathare, Mukuru, Kangemi, and Kibera, where AHF is implementing support programs.
While many individuals are benefiting positively from antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) and living healthy lives, the rising number of new infections among this age group is a significant concern, especially given their substantial presence in the population, where even a small percentage translates to a large number of cases.
Dr. Kinyanjui, a medical doctor, pointed out that many residents in these areas live hand-to-mouth, making it difficult for them to consistently afford condoms.
“Therefore, there is a huge need for the government to invest afresh for the ‘free-to-distribute condoms’ particularly targeting the needy population,” he said, noting that most of the workers in the manufacturing industry come from those places, and therefore major contributors for the growth of the economy.
The consistent reduction of donor funding, especially from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a key financial supporter in the HIV and TB space, he said is perplexing.
Financial supporter
“We have noted that in the last five years including this year, PEPFAR, a huge financial supporter in this space, reduced funding to the country with a significant amount of money, between $15 million- (Sh2 billion) and $20 million (Sh2.6 billion) within a single year,” said Dr Kinyanjui.
That is a lot of money going away in a single year, he noted. As a result, he stated that this is threatening the supply chain, but also thousands of jobs, because 80-90 per cent of the people, who work in the HIV clinics, are either funded by a partner and when they go away, it means that they will lose not only employment but also the clinics will remain unmanned.
“This a great concern, and therefore, our call to the government is to repurpose, refocus, and prioritise HIV and TB funding, to ensure that we don’t roll back the gains we have had for the last 20 years,” he referred to Kenya’s epidemic status, which the country is just about to achieve.
Dr. Kinyanjui notably identified a worrying trend of infections among children through the MTCT, particularly in the ASALs where there have been limited interventions. And as a result, those areas look like the new frontiers.
“So those three things are of real concern,” said Dr Kinyanjui, announcing that AHF which supports 120,000 clients in HIV care in the country through its supported sites that constitute stand-alone clinics in Mathare and Parklands, is about to expand from eight (8) counties to 10, after having signed two agreements with Nakuru and Migori county.
Globally, last Friday, AHF marked a milestone supporting 2 million clients in HIV care.
