The number of HIV/Aids-related deaths in Kenya has dropped by more than half over the past decade, driven by strengthened local interventions and lifesaving antiretroviral (ARV) treatments, which are partly funded by the Global Fund.
New data by the Global Fund shows that Aids-related deaths in Kenya have fallen by 64 percent, from 58,000 in 2010 to 21,000 in 2024. This decline reflects the country’s success in expanding access to ARV treatment and improving care services, highlighting the positive impact of the billions invested in the sector by the Global Fund.
Between 2002 and 2024, Kenya received $1.1 billion (about Sh142.2 billion) in HIV funding from the Global Fund. This investment has supported medication, diagnostics, prevention campaigns, and the strengthening of community health systems.
The report also shows that new HIV infections have dropped by almost 80 percent. Access to treatment has more than doubled, underscoring the impact of sustained funding and coordinated HIV interventions.
The HIV incidence rate per 1,000 people was 1.8 in 2010. By 2024, it had decreased to 0.4, a 79 percent decline, attributed to the effectiveness of prevention campaigns, behaviour change communication, widespread condom distribution, voluntary male circumcision, and pre-exposure prophylaxis programmes.
Fewer infections will ease the future strain on the healthcare system, bringing Kenya closer to achieving epidemic control.
The Global Fund also indicates that awareness of HIV status is nearly universal. In 2015, 87 percent of people living with HIV knew their status. In 2024, this figure had risen to 97 percent. The milestone is crucial because testing is the gateway to treatment.
In addition, the expansion of ARV coverage has increased from 37 percent in 2010 to 81 percent in 2024, providing more than double the access to treatment, enabling millions of individuals to lead healthier, more productive lives.
According to the Ministry of Health, Kenya surpassed the UNAIDS 98-98-94 targets by the end of 2024, with over 1.36 million people living with HIV receiving life-saving treatment.
“Kenya has made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV/Aids. Ninety-eight percent of people living with HIV are aware of their status and are receiving treatment, and 94 percent have achieved viral suppression,” said Dr Patrick Amoth, the Director General of Health.
Another significant achievement has been the reduction in the transmission of HIV to newborns. In 2010, only half of HIV-positive pregnant women accessed prevention of mother-to-child transmission services.
By 2024, this figure had risen to 90 percent, drastically reducing paediatric HIV cases and safeguarding a generation of children, thereby reducing the long-term burden of HIV care.
The US Agency for International Development (USAid), through Pepfar, has played a crucial role in these advancements. Beyond providing direct funding, USAid has supported supply chain systems for medicines, trained healthcare workers, financed community outreach, and ensured accountability in programme delivery.
In Kenya, Pepfar has invested over $7 billion (Sh904.7 billion) in total, strengthening the infrastructure that enables Global Fund contributions to be effective on the ground.
It is this combination of Global Fund financing and USAid’s technical and logistical support that has enabled Kenya to maintain its gains for over a decade.
However, this progress faced a hurdle earlier in the year when the United States froze most USAid funding through an executive order, halting much of the agency’s HIV treatment, testing, and prevention work.
This resulted in over $34 million (Sh4.4 billion) worth of HIV medicines and equipment being left stranded, and thousands of health workers being laid off and prevention programmes being shut down.
Although a subsequent waiver permitted the resumption of certain HIV treatment activities, disruptions to payment systems and implementing partners have continued.
Clinics are now rationing ARVs, which threatens recent progress in reducing deaths, incidence rates, and improving treatment coverage.
"After over two decades of remarkable progress, global health is once again in crisis. Significant reductions in international funding are having a substantial impact on the battle against some of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria," stated the Global Fund.
In response, the Kenyan government, through the Ministry of Health, is accelerating its Health Sector Transition Roadmap to reduce reliance on donor funding and integrate HIV services into routine healthcare under the Social Health Authority.
“The Ministry is actively engaging with other development partners and investing in local pharmaceutical manufacturing to prevent treatment disruptions,” said Dr Amoth.
