New Report Shows Nairobi Rising Fast In New HIV Infections With Homabay Leading In Kenya

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi county has the second highest rate of new HIV infections, recorded at an all time high of 660 new cases, Nairobi comes in first runners up while Homa Bay County leads the country with 700 new reported cases of HIV infections, a report has revealed.

The report now shows about eight counties account for the 50 per cent of all new HIV infections. The report, released as the country prepares to mark World Aids day on December 1, has put heavy focus on Western and Nyanza. The increasing new infections that are in these areas have raised a red flag more so since all new HIV infections occur among adolescents and young people aged between 15-24 years.

The report by National Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (Nascop) has listed Siaya as second runners up with 620 new infections, Kisumu came in fourth with 616, Kakamega at fifth with 437 and Migori and Busia with 432 and 318 new HIV infections respectively.

Counties with the smallest recorded number of infections are Tana River with 13, Lamu and Marsabit 16, while Mandera and Isiolo had 19 new cases.

Arid and semi-arid counties together contributed 25 per cent of all new HIV infections in children. The current mother to child transmission of HIV stands at 12.4 pc.

The report shows 430,825 pregnant adolescent cases (10-19 yrs) were reported, while there was 428,807 uptake of family planning among adolescents and youth aged 15-24 years.

Attended by by more than 100 science journalists and experts from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Malawi, the report was tabled during the recent Kenya Science Journalists Congress in Mombasa county in a congress held between November 18-20 organised by the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (Mesha).

Nascop has fast-tracked procurement and distribution of HIV and STIs medicines, contraceptives and nutrition products and is also providing capacity building and technical support for HIV response and coordinating resource mobilisation and partnerships, advocacy and demand creation for HIV services in all 47 counties in a bid to tackle the HIV menace.