The top leading counties in new HIV infections

According to the report, 66 per cent of new HIV infections occur in 15 counties.

Nairobi is leading in new infections, followed by Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Migori, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega, Kajiado, Narok, Mombasa, Kisii, Trans Nzoia, Machakos and Busia.

Kiambu and Meru are also among counties leading in new infections.

The national prevalence of HIV stands at 3.7 per cent with at least 1,377, 784 Kenyans living with HIV among them 67, 869 children aged between zero and 14 years.

On a positive note, in the last 10 years, HIV infections among adults aged above 15 years has also reduced from 88, 622 to 17,680 in 2022.

Contrary, new infections among children aged between zero and 14 years  have reduced in the past 10 years from 12,826 to 4,474.

Even as Kenya moves towards ending AIDS transmission in children by 2027, new infections are transmitted by fathers.

NSDCC’s Dr Ruth Loibon-Masha linked the new infections in babies to breastfeeding.

The fathers have sexual partners who are HIV positive, and during breastfeeding, they also have sex with their wives (mothers to the babies) who end up transmitting the virus to babies during breastfeeding.

“We now have father-child transmission of HIV,” she said

In the report, 10 counties contributed to 57 per cent of people living with HIV.

The counties include Kisumu (128, 091), Nairobi (124, 609), Homa Bay (120,600), Siaya (96, 297), Migori (76,053), Nakuru (57, 635), Mombasa (50, 656), Kakamega (48,733), Kiambu (45, 917) and Kisii with 42, 210 cases.

Speaking during the release of the Status of the country’s HIV epidemic report, Masha attributed the infections to silence and kangaroo courts.