One in three new HIV infections in Turkana are youth aged 15–24 as county turns to peer educators
County data puts Turkana’s HIV prevalence at 2.19 per cent, with 16,925 people living with HIV: 15,912 adults and 1,013 children.
What you need to know:
- The county has trained 180 girls and young mothers as peer educators to link peers to testing, treatment, and reproductive health services across three high-risk sub-counties.
Turkana County has launched a peer-led initiative to curb rising HIV infections among young people after data showed that over a third of 469 new infections in 2025 were among those aged 15–24.
Under the programme, 180 girls and young mothers from Turkana South, Turkana Central, and Turkana West have been trained on HIV prevention and reproductive health. The peer educators will link their peers to HIV testing, treatment, and sexual and reproductive health services at nearby public facilities. The initiative is implemented through the
Global Fund HIV programme by Africa Inland Church Health Ministries.
County data puts Turkana’s HIV prevalence at 2.19 per cent, with 16,925 people living with HIV: 15,912 adults and 1,013 children.
Turkana County HIV/AIDS Programmes Coordinator Samwel Pulkol said the peer-led model expands the reach of prevention services by creating a safe, relatable environment.
“Peers speak the same language and truly understand each other’s circumstances,” he said, adding that educators will work in communities, schools, and churches.
The training was facilitated by the National AIDS and STI Control Program, the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Programme, and the Turkana County Department of Health Services.
Turkana South resident Florence Diyo, a newly trained peer educator, said she will organise village discussions to encourage open conversations on HIV prevention, treatment, and positive living. “I will also reach school-going children who are likely to be exposed to the virus and other STIs,” she said.
Diyo said the training equipped her to support vulnerable groups, including pregnant teenagers living with HIV. “I have been trained on how to link her to a nearby public health facility and make sure she adheres to clinic appointments, making it easier to prevent transmission to the unborn child,” she said. She also expressed concern over child marriages and teenage pregnancies, which expose many girls to HIV.
Fellow peer educator Prisca Rantale linked new HIV infections among young people to alcohol and substance abuse. “Many young people engage in unprotected sex after abusing alcohol and drugs,” she said, adding that she would discourage alcohol abuse and work with security agencies to crack down on illicit brews.
Rantale said peer educators would also champion voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), which health experts say reduces HIV risk when combined with condoms, STI screening, and PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis).
However, health officials noted low VMMC uptake in Turkana despite county efforts. Turkana South, Central, and West are HIV hotspots, but only a small proportion of men have embraced circumcision, largely due to cultural beliefs. Unlike many Kenyan communities, the Turkana do not traditionally practise circumcision, performing Asapan instead, a rite of passage to elderhood which plays a central role in marriage and community life. Health officials say many men view circumcision as a foreign practice, and those who undergo it face social stigma.
As part of efforts to reduce new HIV infections, all public hospitals now offer VMMC, yet uptake remains between five and 10 per cent.
County Health Executive Joseph Epem urged young men to embrace the procedure. “The foreskin facilitates the spread of HIV. If you get circumcised, it gives you some protection,” he said, noting that VMMC is recommended by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization as part of a broader prevention strategy, alongside condoms.
