- Kenya faces a daunting reality as the number of people requiring Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) has surged to over 1.3 million in 2023, almost doubling since 2013
- While the country has made strides in reducing new infections by 83% and AIDS-related deaths by 65%, the increased need for treatment shows HIV’s unrelenting grip on the population
- Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa warned that these figures point to persistent gaps in prevention, especially among high-risk groups like adolescents
Despite Kenya’s decade-long battle against HIV/AIDS, troubling data reveals a doubling in the number of people requiring Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), now standing at 1,336,681 in 2023, up from around 700,000 in 2013.
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa shared these alarming statistics, which highlight the daunting scale of HIV’s ongoing impact in Kenya.
While new infections have dropped by 83% since 2013, and AIDS-related deaths by 65%, the nearly doubled need for ART indicates that HIV remains an unchecked burden on the nation’s healthcare system.
Barasa also noted that mother-to-child transmission remains stubbornly high at 7.3%, despite progress, falling short of the government’s ambitious goal of reducing it to under 5% by 2025.
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Challenges are especially pronounced among adolescents, with girls facing an acute “triple threat” of HIV, early pregnancy, and gender-based violence, underscoring gaps in effective prevention and support.
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“These numbers are too high to ignore,” Barasa said, stressing the urgency for a more comprehensive approach to tackle HIV’s spread among Kenya’s youth.
Despite Kenya’s aim to end AIDS by 2027, Barasa’s message on World AIDS Day reveals that barriers in healthcare access, especially for men and boys, are slowing down progress.
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She urged the public to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) as part of an intensified push for universal health coverage.
“The mission to end AIDS needs to be everyone’s priority,” Barasa stated grimly, calling on all Kenyans to join the fight as the country faces a critical juncture in the AIDS epidemic.
