Red flag over surging HIV infection in Nakuru
A spike in HIV/Aids cases among those aged 10–35 years in Nakuru County has worried health authorities.
A spike in HIV/Aids cases among those aged 10–35 years in Nakuru County has worried health authorities and leaders. Data from the Health department shows over 40 per cent of new cases are occurring among adolescents, mainly girls and young women aged 14–35.
However, more worrying is the increase in infection among adolescents aged 10–19.
“There was an increase in infection among adolescents aged 10–19 from 185 in 2020 to 297 in 2021. This trend is comparatively higher than the national estimate, which shows that infection has dropped from 18,004 in 2006 to 5,294 in 2021,” reads the report.
Nakuru, however, recorded a 17 per cent drop in Aids–related deaths among adolescents aged 10-19 between 2020 and 2021.
The report says the rise in mother-to-child transmission in the county has surpassed the national prevalence.
Nakuru had 11 per cent of mothers transmitting the virus to their children during birth, against the national prevalence of nine per cent.
On World Aids Day on December 1, Governor Susan Kihika raised the alarm over increased infection among teenagers and called for concerted efforts to tame the virus.
“The rise in infection among teenagers is worrying because this is the future generation. We are facing a challenge of increasing HIV infection confronting our adolescents,” she said.
“As stakeholders, we need to have a conversation about the future of our children and about shaping attitudes and behaviour of our children.
“The critical question we should ask ourselves is: How long will we continue to accept preventable HIV infection, especially among our teenagers,38 years down the line? I am persuaded that with concerted efforts, we can eliminate the gaps that engender the spread of HIV in our county and our country.
“We can slow down the pandemic, create new opportunities for our adolescents and give them hope for tomorrow. We are all obliged, and we have the tools to fight the war.”
Speaking during talks with a delegation from the United States, led by the country’s Ambassador Margaret ‘Meg’ Whitman, the county boss said her administration had heightened the campaign against HIV/Aids to end the menace by 2030.
Ms Kihika further noted that Kenya’s new infection rate is higher among children and young adults below the age of 34, while the larger cohort of the people living with HIV is older adults, many of whom might have been infected at a younger age.
The data further shows that the new numbers are associated with the increase in teenage pregnancies.
The National Aids Control Council (Nacc) report shows that despite the new revelations on teenage infection, the country has made strides in the fight against HIV, which was first discovered in Kenya 38 years ago.
Stakeholders advocate education of children, with reports showing that secondary schools lead by 61 per cent in preventing HIV among teenagers.
Risk factors
Poverty and economic inequalities and early sexual activity among teenagers are among factors blamed for exposing teenagers to the disease.
The Nacc Board painted a grim picture of the correlation between sexually transmitted infections and the mental health crisis in the county.
Nacc said the increased number of cases among teenagers and young adults has also caused a slight increae in suicide rates within this age group.
Challenges facing teenagers such as parental neglect, inappropriate forms of recreation, low self-esteem, use of alcohol and substance abuse were also listed as a part of the problem.
