The government has expressed its commitment to ensuring that children living with HIV/AIDS are not left behind in getting Antiretroviral Treatment (ART), following concerns about the sluggish pace of curtailing new HIV infections among children and adolescents.
In a report seen by KNA, 4,474 children aged 0–14 years acquired HIV, mostly associated with mother-to-child transmission, in 2022.
The report states that 67% of cases of mother-to-child transmission of HIV are attributed to either pregnant and breastfeeding women not receiving ART or having their treatment interrupted.
Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai said that the country bears the 7th highest burden of HIV globally, with approximately 1.4 million individuals living with the virus.
Kimtai said by the end of 2022, approximately 82,000 people living with HIV had not yet commenced long-term antiretroviral treatment.
Speaking during the Maisha Conference in Mombasa, the PS said that the rates of mother-to-child transmission remain alarmingly high at 8.3% as of the close of 2022.
“In 2022 alone, an average of 141 new HIV infections were reported among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 every week. Despite progress, the persistent HIV-related stigma continues to be a pressing concern,” he said.
The PS noted that AIDS-related deaths are on a downward trajectory, urging those infected to keep taking their medications as the government dejects loss of lives due to the disease.
In a report he presented, the PS said that between 2013 and 2022, the number of individuals receiving lifelong antiretroviral treatment has nearly doubled, soaring from 656,369 in 2013 to 1,294,339 in 2022, significantly enhancing quality of life and curbing mortality rates.
“We take pride in the wide-scale availability of more patient-friendly medications such as Dolutegravir (DTG), which have yielded superior treatment outcomes, as evidenced by an 89 per cent overall viral suppression among the 1,294,339 individuals under antiretroviral treatment in 2022,” he said.
He noted that the government is proactive in embracing scientific advancements, thus leading to the country being ranked as the second African nation to adopt and successfully implement a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) programme for HIV prevention, achieving a net-worthy 64 per cent uptake among all eligible individuals by the close of 2022.
Kimtai added that the country has reduced annual new HIV infections by 78 per cent plummeting from 101,500 cases in 2012 to approximately 22,154 cases in 2022.
According to the PS, AIDS-related fatalities have witnessed a substantial 68 per cent decline, plummeting from around 58,446 to 18,473. Through gradual increments, we have boosted the domestic funding pool for HIV by 33 per cent.
“Our contributions extend to numerous scientific research endeavours that have catalysed breakthroughs in the management of HIV. Let us channel our collaborative spirit and innovative thinking towards addressing the complex web of social determinants and syndetic factors that continue to challenge our efforts in combating HIV,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council, Ruth Laibon, said that adolescents and young people account for 75 per cent of all new HIV infections among adults (2022).
She added that sex- and age-related young women aged 15–24 years are approximately four times more likely to become infected with HIV than young men.
By Chari Suche
