The government has set aside Sh2.6billion in the new financial year to fight HIV after a reduction in donor funding.
The country had Sh2billion in the last financial year together with donor funding totaling to Sh4.6billion.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumincha while announcing the allocation, said the programme’s yearly funding reduction to the country has hampered measures to fight the disease.
Pepfar has reduced its disbursement to Kenya by nearly three-quarters in four years.
During Pepfar partnership, the country witnessed a 68 percent reduction in new HIV infections and 67 percent in Aids-related deaths.
“This progress was achieved through an increase in the country’s HIV response health workforce, technical assistance and training opportunities and also testing enforcement with over 3,700 antiretroviral sites across the 47 counties. We can testify that Pepfar has saved millions of lives not only in Kenya but Africa at large,” said Nakhumicha.
Dr John Nkengasong, the United States Global HIV/Aids Coordinator and Kenya Pepfar Coordinator said the programme will not withdraw, but it’s advocating strong partnerships.
“As incoming Kenya’s Pepfar coordinator, I am looking forward to maintaining a strong partnership towards this struggle,” Dr Nkengasong said. “Each time I look at the journey and the struggle we have had with the epidemic; I think of the impact the programme has created.”
He noted that before the programme, the virus created fear and death and the cost of ARVs was $10,000, making them unaffordable in Africa. Today, he said, the programme offers hope to individuals and families, having saved 25 million lives and ensured 5.5 million children are born free of HIV/Aids.
“Kenya, for instance, has done so well and almost attained its goals and this will go a long way in achieving our 2030 goals. If we apply ourselves and join forces and commit ourselves to the struggle against HIV/Aids, pulling resources together, we will get there,” Dr Nkengasong said.
Every year, 21 percent of new adult HIV infections occur among young women aged 15–24.
In 2017, 1.5 million Kenyans were living with HIV while 110,000 children were living with HIV.
Additionally, 63 percent of men and 80 percent of women know their HIV status.