Kenya defies funding cuts as HIV treatment uptake climbs to 91pc
Data shows that out of the 47 counties, 39 recorded an increased uptake for the HIV drugs.
What you need to know:
- The overall estimated uptake rate for HIV drugs among people living with HIV now stands at 91 per cent.
- The current figure still falls short of the national target of 95 per cent that was meant to be achieved last year.
The estimated number of individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV in Kenya grew over the past year despite reductions in donor funding, according to data from the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC).
The data shows that out of the 47 counties, 39 recorded an increased uptake for the HIV drugs.
Eight counties including Busia, Kilifi, Nandi, Laikipia, Kajiado, Nyeri, Kiambu and Narok counties recorded a decline in coverage rates for antiretroviral therapy.
On the contrary, Lamu, Marsabit, Nakuru, Tana River, Mandera and Wajir recorded the highest coverage rates on ART.
This data is comparable to uptake in 2024 versus that of June 2026.
The overall estimated uptake rate for HIV drugs among people living with HIV now stands at 91 per cent.
Even though this marks an improvement from 2024, when the estimated antiretroviral (ARV) uptake rate stood at 87 per cent, the current figure still falls short of the national target of 95 per cent that was meant to be achieved last year.
Their data indicates that 96 per cent of women living with HIV are currently on treatment, compared to just 88 per cent of men in the same cohort.
Children have the lowest uptake, with only six in ten (60 per cent) living with HIV estimated to be on the required treatment for viral load suppression.
While the country continues to record new infections, the figure has dropped by about 6,000 compared to 2024, when 19,991 new cases were reported.
A study published last month in the scientific journal Nature indicates that funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) in Kenya declined slightly by just one per cent, while South Africa experienced the steepest drop at 40 per cent.
Douglas Bosire, chief executive officer of NSDCC, told Nation that although there were funding cuts last year, the supply of commodities for people living with HIV was not affected.
“Facilities and clients continued to receive their ARTs,” he said.
Last year, the government shifted its strategy from the Kenya Aids Strategic Framework II to the Kenya Aids Integration Strategic Framework, which will run until 2030, and Bosire noted that this change has partly contributed to improved uptake of ARTs.
The new framework was launched on December 1 last year, during World AIDS Day, to provide overall guidance on integration based on the World Health Organisation’s health system building blocks.
This overarching national framework is now being implemented through 47 county specific operational plans, which were unveiled on June 18, 2026.
He explained that HIV programmes previously operated as stand alone services, with patients visiting specific clinics for treatment. This approach had to change, particularly because some of the healthcare workers staffing those clinics were affected by funding cuts.
“We quickly turned around and integrated delivery of HIV services to the main service delivery point of the hospital, whether they were outpatient departments, whether they were chronic care clinics, so that disruption did not lead to loss of delivery of services by health workers,” he explained.
Availability of drugs
The NSDCC boss told Nation that there was widespread apprehension when the United States government issued the stop work order, with many people living with HIV fearing they would no longer find treatment in hospitals. He added that the government had to carry out extensive community sensitisation to maintain confidence in the availability of drugs.
“People continued seeking care as normal without fear that there is a risk that stocks will run out,” he said.
At the time when the stop working order was effected, the country put up a National Emergency Response Committee that was chaired by the Principal Secretary in charge of Medical Services to assess possible risks and address them before they could become challenges.
For counties where ART uptake has declined, he noted that they face county specific challenges that hinder progress.
Bosire added that these are also the counties with the highest number of people living with HIV, many of whom remain unaware of their status.
Overall, about 103,000 Kenyans are living with HIV but remain unaware of their status. Currently, only 93 per cent of those living with HIV in the country know their status.
He explained that to estimate the prevalence of a disease within a population, they use a model provided by UNAids. For instance, if 93 per cent of Kenyans know their status, the estimates are then compared with the number of Kenyans on treatment to identify the early cascade gap — the proportion of people unaware of their status.
He further noted that in historically high burden counties, the government intensified programming and awareness campaigns, which helped reduce stigma around HIV testing.
“Although the epidemic is generally under control in the country, there are certain sub-populations and geographic locations that need some high focus so that the bubbles of new infections there do not grow as well,” he noted.
“The low burden counties like those in the North Eastern part of the country, there was absolutely no minimum programming for HIV. Now we are seeing mother-to-child transmission in those counties is higher than the rest of the country,” he said.
Bosire explained that each county is now required to develop its own tailored plan to meet the needs of its population. As a result of these county specific programmes, the government has begun identifying new cases in low burden counties, leading to increased uptake of ART in those regions.
He urged residents of low burden counties, such as those in North Eastern, to attend antenatal and post-natal clinics so they can be tested for the virus early and, if found positive, be monitored for drug uptake to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Even though Kenya has yet to reach the target of placing 95 per cent of people living with HIV on treatment, Bosire noted that the country has been making steady progress toward achieving it.
“The counties are now identifying particular groups that are making the country’s mean to be below the target. Since men have low numbers compared to women, we encourage men to seek early treatment and we are also trying to bring services closer to them,” he said.
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