Tharaka Nithi County has recorded a fall in the number of new HIV infections.
In 2015, the number of new infections was recorded at 522, while 338 and 129 was recorded in 2018 and 2021 respectively.
The HIV prevalence situation in the county was recorded at 2% in 2021, a significant drop from 3.2% in 2018.
Speaking during the commemoration of World Aids Day at Chuka Town on Thursday, Tharaka Nithi Director of Health Services Dr. John Mbogo noted that the total estimate of persons living with HIV was at 8,161, a drop from 8,453 recorded in 2018.
The number of people on HIV treatment stood at 7,752 (94.9%) compared to 6,529 (77.2%) in 2018.
Annual HIV infections among children aged 0-14 were recorded as 36 in 2015, 52 in 2018 and 20 in 2021 while annual infections among adults aged 15 and above stood at 486 in 2015, 286 in 2018 and 109 in 2021.
New infections among 15–24-year-old persons was recorded at 257 in 2015, 88 in 2018 and 49 in 2021 whereas among adolescents aged 10-19, it was recorded at 137 in 2015, 28 in 2018 and 19 in 2021.
Dr. Mbogo noted that the youth and adolescents recorded the highest number of new HIV infections, advising them to use protection or abstain from sex as control measures.
Tharaka Nithi Deputy Governor Wilson Nyaga Muisrael, who graced the occasion, said the government was committed towards high level advocacy on HIV response, and called for more sustained action in responding to HIV.
“HIV/AIDS remains a public threat that needs to be confronted. We are committed to avoid the triple threat that is New HIV infections, Teenage Pregnancies and Gender Based Violence”, he said.
According to the World Aids Day report 2022 to be released, the country recorded an increase in new HIV infections for the first time in a decade with more than 2,000 cases from 32,025 to 34, 540 last year.
The report attributes the increase in new infections to the constant new HIV infections among children, adolescents and younger people, and the shortage of HIV commodities, with eight out of ten new HIV infections occurring among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24.
According to the report, 52 per cent of all new infections occurred among adolescents and young adults aged 15-29 years with 26 per cent among 30 to 44 years.
Infants and children between the ages 0 to 14 contributed to 15 per cent of all the new infections with 45 and above contributing to seven per cent infections.
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