By Lenah Bosibori
Nairobi, Kenya: As the world joined together this year’s World AIDS Day celebrations, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) joined to celebrate the day with the students studying Statistics at the University
Speaking during the commemoration on Friday, Dr Josephine Kinya a Psychologist with Equity Afia told students not to lose hope even if they are living positively, she said knowing how to manage stress is key to productivity and mental well-being, Kinya was speaking in Nairobi during the celebrations of the World AIDS day themed ‘Let Communities Lead’.
“This condition is with us, we should not downgrade it but take care of ourselves and understand it. Let’s also get tested and extend love and combustion to our families and friends who are managing this condition, said Kinya.
Kinya said that they chose to add mental health issues during the commemoration because in most cases people succumb to this condition due to mental health.
“Many people succumb to this disease because of mental health issues, after testing positive, some decide not to take medication or others stop taking care of themselves, some also say that they will not die alone, so mental health becomes very crucial as far as management of this condition is concerned,” said Kinya.
Globally, the objective and goal are to live in a world free of HIV/AIDS. “This is a condition that anyone can live with as long as we can take care of ourselves,” added Kinya.
The latest report by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) shows that Kenya has made remarkable progress in reshaping the trajectory of the HIV epidemic. Despite these achievements, the AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections have stabilized at high rates emphasizing the critical need for intensified and sustained efforts.
To bring new HIV transmissions and AIDS-related deaths to zero we must empower Communities to Lead, read part of the report. World-AIDS-Day-Report-2023
The report also shows that 1,377, 784 Kenyans live with HIV with Kisumu, Nairobi, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori taking the lead. Over the past decade, the number of individuals living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy in Kenya has nearly doubled, increasing from 656,369 in 2013 to 1,294,339 in 2022.
This notable progress stands as a testament to the collective efforts and partnerships that have made a significant impact on many households. Nakhumicha S Wafula, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health has launched the Plan to End AIDS in Children by 2027 to ensure the country attains global targets and other milestones for epidemic control. The commitment extends to promoting universal access to antenatal services and skilled birth delivery for all mothers. Despite these strides, challenges persist, particularly among adolescents and young people aged 15-24, who accounted for 41% of all new HIV infections among those over 15 years old in 2022.
Further, the report says that new HIV infections have reduced by 78% in the last decade from 101,448 in 2013 to 22,154 in 2022 the World Aids 2023 Report 2023
The number of AIDS-related deaths has declined significantly with the introduction of Antiretroviral Therapy. Between 2013 and 2022, there was a decline of 68% from 58,446 to 18,743. Despite the significant progress, Kenya had the eighth-highest estimated number of AIDS-related deaths globally in 2022.
More than half of AIDS-related deaths (54%) occurred among people aged 30–54 years in 2022.
Prof Dorcas Yole Director of Biological and Life Sciences at TUK assured students that they can live life to their fullest and take their studies to the highest level even if they had HIV.
“Let us walk together, the issue of mental health is here with us and again is not choosing from the young to the old, things are not as good as they used to be,. I know you struggle through the little you get from your parents which can lead to mental health issues,” said Yole.
Rose Awino Senior Manager HRM&D at KNBS said that they chose TUK as a learning institution to make an impact for World Aids Day, they also donated books on statistics, economics, mathematics, actuarial sciences, and HIV/AIDS to commemorate the day.
“You gave us your wish list and we hope we have fulfilled it; we even went further to have books on HIV/AIDS just to commemorate the day,” said Awino.
Benjamin Muchiri Senior Manager, National Accounts Statistics at KNBS urged the government to remove the legal barriers that prevent access to sexual and reproductive health services and promote responsible sexual behavior through comprehensive sexuality education.
“The government is also supposed to provide youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services including harm reduction and programs for those injecting drugs,” said Muchiri.
