About 1.37 million Kenyans are living with HIV, according to the 2023 report published by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC).
The report indicates that the number of people living with the virus decreased by 59,483 from the 1.4 million reported during the corresponding period the previous year.
The report further reveals that the nationwide prevalence stands at 3.7 percent among adults aged between 15 to 49 years. Specifically, the prevalence is 5.3 percent among females and 2.6 percent among males.
Notably, Nyanza region continues to report the highest number of HIV-positive cases, with 341,903 cases, followed by Rift Valley with 201,689 cases and Eastern with 97,505 cases.
In terms of treatment, the statistics show that 348,408 Kenyan men and 807,576 women are utilizing antiretrovirals (ARVs) to manage their HIV.
Conversely, concerning figures were reported for HIV infections among young adults aged 15 to 24, with the data showing 145,142 cases for this group.
Commenting on the report’s release, Geoffrey Githu, Chairperson of NSDCC, attributed the persistently high prevalence to what he termed as immorality among the youth.
Most Affected Groups
Meanwhile, a previous report published by NSDCC shed light on the concerning HIV prevalence among different groups in Kenya, with sex workers facing the highest reported rates.
The data shows that approximately 29.3% of female sex workers in the country are currently living with HIV.
Surprisingly, despite these alarming statistics, female sex workers appear to be more adept at safeguarding themselves against HIV transmission when compared to other vulnerable groups, such as men who have sex with men.
The resilience was attributed to the fact that a substantial 76% of sex workers are believed to have access to HIV services, a figure notably higher than that observed among other key population groups.
Moreover, the report highlights that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Kenya is nearly three times higher than that within the general population.
The data estimates indicate an HIV prevalence rate of 18.2% among this particular group.
