Players in the health sector have raised an alarm over the ‘unacceptable’ HIV transmission from mother to child.
World Health Organization says that in the absence of intervention, the rate of transmission of HIV from a mother living with HIV to her child during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding ranges from 15 per cent to 45 per cent.
As such, identification of HIV infection should be immediately followed by an offer of linkage to lifelong treatment and care, including support to remain in care and virally suppressed and an offer of partner services.
On Friday, National Syndemic Diseases Control Council Adolescent and youth programme officer Janet Musimbi said a lot still needs to be done.
“Despite the gains in HIV response, Kenya is yet to meet the less than five per cent target on elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV,” she said.
Musimbi said the National MTCT rate average is at 8.6 per cent with significant geographical disparity ranging from five per cent and to 38.8 per cent.
Narok county has 21.1 per cent MTCT rate, Samburu (25.7%), Wajir (29.6%) and Mandera (38.8%).
Musimbi cited 21 counties heavily burdened by MTCT between 2021 and 2022.
They include Mombasa, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Wajir, Mandera, Kitui, Machakos, Nyeri, Murang’a, Samburu, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Baringo, Narok, Kericho, Vihiga, Busia, Kisii, Nyamira and Nairobi.
Musimbi said the adolescents are battling with the overlapping challenge of new HIV infections, unintended pregnancies, and sexual and gender-based violence.
The triple threat among adolescents and young women aged between 10 and 19 years has become a driver of HIV infections due to sexual risk and vulnerability.
She raised concerns over the rising cases of new HIV infections among adolescents aged below 24 years.
Data from the council shows that out of the 427 new infections that are recorded in the country every week, 62 occur among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years.
The country records 61 new HIV infections every day.
The same age group records 23 HIV deaths every week.
Musimbi said even though Kenya is on track towards the reduction of new HIV infections, the infections are increasing in previously low-burden counties.
“If we do not target them, if we don’t get interventions for them and we don’t take care we will reach a point where our population will be majorly the older population,” she said.
“We are concerned about the adolescents and the young people simply because there are things that affect them that put them at risk of HIV and Aids.”
Musimbi shared data showing that Kisumu had the highest number of new infections in 2022 with 335 cases.
Homa Bay followed with 313 cases, Siaya with 251, Migori with 197, Nakuru with 196, Nairobi with 187, Uasin Gishu with 122, Kisii with 111, Kajiado with 101 and Kakamega with 196 cases.
The statistics showed that Trans Nzoia had 81 new infections in 2022, Kericho 74, Mombasa 73, Narok 71, Machakos 71, Busia 69, Kiambu 67, Turkana 66, Meru 63, Nandi 62, Bungoma 57, Kitui 56, Bomet 51, Makueni 44, Nyamira 43, Kilifi 40, Vihiga 39, Murang’a 31, Laikipia 31 and Samburu 30.
Other counties which recorded new infections in 2022 include Baringo 26, Kwale 25, Nyeri 24, Embu 22, Elgeyo Marakwet 22, Kirinyaga 20, Tharaka Nithi 16, Nyandarua 15, Taita Taveta 13 and West Pokot 11.
Isiolo, Marsabit, Lamu, Tana River, Mandera, Garissa and Wajir counties recorded numbers lower than 10 at 7, 5, 3,3,3,2 and 1 cases respectively.
Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) says about 8,520 young women and girls are infected with HIV daily.
AHF Country Director Samuel Kinyanjui said young women and adolescent girls (15 years to 24 years) account for one in four new infections in sub-Saharan Africa, despite making up only 10 per cent of the total population.
"In Eastern and Southern Africa, young women and adolescent account for 30 per cent of new infections," Kinyanjui said.
The Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2022 showed that 76 per cent of women and 72 per cent of men know that the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV can be reduced by the mother taking ARVs.
The survey showed that knowledge that the risk of MTCT can be reduced by taking ARVs has increased from 33 per cent in 2003 to 76 per cent in 2022 among women, while for men; it increased from 38 per cent in 2003 to 72 per cent in 2022.
Half of women (48%) and men (49%) have heard of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.
Among those who have heard of PrEP, seven in 10 women (71%) and six in 10 men (62%) approve of PrEP use to prevent HIV.
The survey said 95 per cent of women who gave birth in the two years before the survey were tested for HIV during ANC or labour and received results.
Overall, 85 per cent of women and 73 per cent of men have ever been tested for HIV.
