The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Kenya has once again missed out on a prestigious global health milestone after failing to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for ending mother-to-child HIV transmission.
The disappointment comes as the WHO officially validated Brazil last week for successfully eliminating vertical transmission, leaving Kenya to grapple with a worrying rise in infections among newborns.
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WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus lauded Brazil’s achievement, noting that the country successfully reduced transmission rates to below 2% through sustained political commitment and equitable healthcare.
In stark contrast, Kenya’s mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rate remains stubbornly high at 9.26%, despite a reported 90.1% coverage of prevention services.
Gaps in the Care Continuum
Data from the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) reveals a troubling landscape. In 2024, Kenya recorded 20,105 new HIV cases, with 4,349 of those infections occurring in children under the age of 15. Health experts point to significant gaps in the “continuum of care,” where mothers may start treatment but fail to complete the necessary medical steps to protect their infants.
The crisis is most acute in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions. In counties such as Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, and Samburu, cultural barriers and high levels of stigma have pushed transmission rates to over 20%—meaning more than one in five infants born to HIV-positive mothers in these areas contract the virus.
The Funding Cliff
The setback is exacerbated by a looming financial crisis. A new UNAIDS report warns that sharp cuts from international donors are destabilizing HIV prevention and treatment programs across the continent. Kenya is particularly vulnerable, as 63.5% of its HIV response is funded by external partners like the Global Fund and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
With PEPFAR reducing its budget under the “America First” Global Health Strategy, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima warned that the progress fought for over decades is now “fragile.”
“Behind every data point are babies and children missed for HIV screening,” Byanyima stated. “We cannot abandon them.”
The African Exception
While Kenya struggles, Botswana remains the gold standard on the continent. It is currently the only high-burden African nation to be validated by the WHO for eliminating mother-to-child transmission, having slashed its rate to approximately 1.2%.
Kenya’s national target is to reach an elimination rate of less than 5% by 2030. However, without a significant increase in domestic funding—which currently accounts for only 34% of the budget—and a breakthrough in reaching marginalized communities, that goal remains a distant reality.
