• People living with HIV say the country is not on track to eliminate new HIV infections and Aids-related deaths in this age bracket.
• Last year, Unaids said Kenya had narrowly missed the global 90-90-90 HIV targets.
Image: FILE
The Ministry of Health and Health CECs will conduct nationwide HIV campaigns after the latest statistics showed extremely high new infections in youths.
At least 61 per cent of all new HIV infections in the country are now occurring among adolescents and young people aged 15-29 years, the statistics show. This is twice the 29 per cent rate in 2013.
The Ministry of Health and all Health CECs said they will work together in awareness campaigns to combat this trend.
The two issued a joint communiqué after a meeting at the end of last week.
The ministry was represented by the National Aids Control Council and the National Aids and STIs Control Programme.
The two also noted a growing rate of teenage pregnancies, which is also contributing to the epidemic in youths.
“One in every three antenatal care clinics is a girl aged 10 to 19 years,” they noted in a statement signed by Nacc boss Ruth Laibon-Masha, Nascop head Catherine Ngugi and chairman of Health CECs forum Andrew Mulwa.
People living with HIV welcomed the joint communiqué but noted at the current pace, the country is not on track to eliminate new HIV infections and Aids-related deaths among adolescents, and young people.
“Clearly, something needs to be done to address the sexual and reproductive health risks, including HIV among this population,” said Nelson Otuoma, head of Nephak, the umbrella body for Kenyans living with HIV.
Otuoma said in the future, the civil society and communities must be involved in such consultations.
“It was not clear why neither the consultations nor the joint communiqué included the civil society and communities,” he said.
The communiqué also noted Kenya is not on course to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV.
It says at least 133 Kenyan children still get infected with HIV every week.
Last year, Unaids said Kenya had narrowly missed the global 90-90-90 HIV targets.
The country was expected to diagnose 90 per cent of all HIV-positive persons, provide ARVs for 90 per cent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 90 per cent of those treated by 2020.
The targets were agreed around the world in 2014 and are aimed at ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.
The new report by Unaids, 'Seizing the Moment', said Kenya missed the mark largely because gay men, sex workers, people who inject drugs and prisoners were left behind. These are high risk populations.
Last year 89 per cent of all HIV positive people in Kenya knew their status and 77 per cent were on ARVs, according to Unaids. The Ministry of Health says 82 per cent were virally suppressed.
The report shows in East Africa only Uganda and Rwanda have achieved the 90-90-90 targets.
Across Africa, seven countries have achieved the feat, the rest being Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
"Three others are very close to doing so -Kenya, Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania," the report says.
Eswatini is doing so well that it has surpassed the targets to achieve 95–95–95.