The ongoing efforts and achievements highlighted by Kenya at the IAS Conference underscore the significant progress in controlling the HIV epidemic.
The Kenya delegation team in Munich, led by the Head of NASCOP, Dr. Rose Wafula, other heads and program managers from the Ministry of Health, PEPFAR Coordinator Brian Reitman, and the relevant CDC, USAID and DOD agency and PCO representatives, Communities of people living with HIV and affected by HIV, academia and scientists and implementing partners. The team continue to share best practices that underscore the country’s significant progress in HIV response and healthcare delivery in the quest to also contribute to global evidence.
Kenya has been commended for its exemplary performance on the path towards ending AIDS having achieved the viral suppression target.
The global UNAIDS 2024 report released at the conference shows an improved successful health plan for HIV management and for preventing new HIV infections with biggest gains recorded in Sub-Sahara Africa. Speaking during the release of the report, UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima applauded the efforts to this success. “In 2023, almost three in four adults, (73%) living with HIV globally had a suppressed viral load, a big improvement compared with the 40% in 2015, making the 95-95-95 reachable.”
The report indicates that approximately 86% of people living with HIV worldwide knew their HIV status in 2023. Among them, approximately 89% of people were receiving antiretroviral therapy and 93% of people on treatment had a suppressed viral load. The UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets for HIV epidemic control, aims for 95% of PLHIV to be diagnosed, 95% of those diagnosed to be on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment to be virally suppressed. This translates to a 95-90-86 cascade. Kenya’s current progress of 95-95-90 cascade reflects substantial advancement as reflected in the report.
Dr. Wafula shared pertinent interventions that Kenya continues to embrace to end AIDS. “Kenya is implementing a patient-centered integrated service delivery with key attention to sustaining the gains made so far in HIV response, accelerated efforts in addressing gaps by geography and subpopulation and improving on the quality of care.”
Presented in the IAS and central to Kenya’s HIV response is the U=U campaign by communities, which has been pivotal in the approach to achieving viral suppression, and an advocacy towards putting people first. More tolerable and effective HIV treatments are making it easier for people to keep taking their ARV medicines and have suppressed viral load. The U=U campaign continues to yield valuable lessons emphasizing the effectiveness of integrated, community-centered approaches in achieving epidemic control and putting people at the center of healthcare services and messaging.
