More than 90 per cent of Kenyans on HIV treatment cannot transmit the virus, the World Health Organization has confirmed.
The WHO, in a new guidance for policymakers, described key HIV viral load thresholds and the approaches to measure levels of virus against these thresholds.
It noted when the treatment reduces HIV to undetectable levels, that person cannot transmit the virus to their partners and are at low risk of transmitting HIV vertically to their children.
“The evidence also indicates that there is negligible, or almost zero, risk of transmitting HIV when a person has a HIV viral load measurement of less than or equal to 1000 copies per mL, also commonly referred to as having a suppressed viral load,” WHO said in new scientific guidance at the 12th International Aids Society Conference on HIV Science.
The latest data from the Kenya’s National Aids and STIs Control Programme (Nascop) shows at least 92 per cent of Kenyans on treatment are fully suppressed.
Only about 5 per cent, or 35,605 people are not suppressed and can pass the virus to others.
The WHO also said people who are fully suppressed can now expect to have the same health and life expectancy as their HIV-negative counterparts.
Kenya’s life expectancy is about 62 years at birth but reduces in adulthood.
“For more than 20 years, countries all over the world have relied on WHO’s evidence-based guidelines to prevent, test for and treat HIV infection,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General.
There are about 1.5 million Kenyans living with HIV, according to Nascop and at least 90 per cent are already on antiretroviral drugs.
Globally, at the end of 2022, 29.8 million of the 39 million people living with HIV were taking antiretroviral treatment.
WHO said this means 76 per cent of all people living with HIV are on medication, with almost three-quarters of them (71 per cent) living with suppressed HIV.
“This means that for those virally suppressed, their health is well protected and they are not at risk of transmitting HIV to other people,” WHO said.
In December last year, Kenya said it 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.
“Some HIV prevention programmes, such as voluntary male medical circumcision and peer education, were disrupted due to Covid-19 related disruptions,” Geoffrey Mbirua Gitu, Board chairperson, National Syndemic Diseases Control Council said.
From the report, eight 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.
“HIV treatment coverage is also uneven across counties. Treatment coverage for adults is lower than 70 per cent in 19 counties with Mandera and West Pokot counties with the lowest treatment coverage of 48 per cent and 50 per cent for adults living with HIV,” the World AIDS report 2022 report, produced by the NSDCC, read.
The report shows that Kenya loses an estimated 65,000 people annually to HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria related illnesses with the country having recorded 2 million AIDS-related deaths since the first case was officially recorded in 1984.
From the report, the number of AIDS-related deaths increased by 15 per cent from about 19,486 to 22,373 between 2000 and 2021; half of the deaths occurring in 10 counties.
The 10 include Nairobi, Kisumu, Homabay, Siaya, Migori, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kakamega, Kiambu and Kisii counties.