Rising HIV infections among Kenyan youth signals urgent call to action

Kenya is facing a deepening HIV crisis, particularly among adolescents and young people, as new infections in the 10-19 age group surged over the past year, contributing to nearly 20,000 new cases nationally.

Adolescents and young people now account for almost a third of all new HIV infections. At the same time, children remain highly vulnerable, with mother-to-child transmission on the rise, posing a growing challenge for national health systems.

As the country joins the world in marking World AIDS Day 2025, the urgency of the response has never been clearer.

Globally, over a million people acquire HIV each year, and nearly 40 million live with the virus, with women and girls bearing more than half of this burden.

Persistent stigma, discrimination, inequality, and high costs of modern prevention tools continue to restrict access to life-saving innovations.

Experts warn that Kenyan youth face a “triple threat”: high HIV vulnerability, persistent adolescent pregnancies, and escalating sexual and gender-based violence.

While adolescent pregnancy rates have declined slightly, figures remain critically high, with girls aged 10-14 representing a worrying share of early pregnancies.

Reports of violence against children are rising, compounding health, social, and economic challenges.

The country spends billions annually addressing HIV treatment, gender-based violence, and the long-term effects of adolescent pregnancies, including lost productivity and opportunities for young women.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are also rising sharply, particularly among adolescents, PrEP users, and key populations.

Recent screenings at AHF-Kenya’s wellness clinics revealed that most clients tested positive for major STIs, often without showing symptoms—a silent epidemic that exacerbates HIV vulnerability and underscores the need for routine screening, early treatment, and expanded prevention services.

In response, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Kenya, in partnership with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), the Media Council of Kenya, and NASCOP, launched the Voices of Impact: HIV & STIs Media Awards 2026.

The initiative aims to revive rigorous, ethical, and people-centred journalism on HIV and STIs, addressing gaps in public awareness and policy coverage.

“Members of the fourth estate can change a national conversation with six hundred words and a headline that fits on a smart phone screen,” AHF Kenya Country Director Dr. Samuel Kinyanjui said.

He added that the awards are a national nudge and a reminder that Kenya’s HIV story still matters.

At the launch, partners emphasized that Kenya has over a million people living with HIV, with adolescents and young people increasingly at risk.

They stressed that the intertwined crises of HIV, early pregnancy, and violence require a whole-of-society response. “If we ignore one piece of that knot, the rest tightens,” Acting CEO of NSDCC Douglas Bosire noted.

The Voices of Impact Awards will recognize journalism that highlights prevention, testing, and treatment, exposes policy gaps, and humanizes the experiences of those affected by HIV and STIs.

Winners will receive a cash prize and the title of HIV & STIs Media Champion – Kenya (2026), with entries judged by senior journalists, health experts, and academics under strict guidelines to ensure integrity.

World AIDS Day 2025 activities will include a national half-marathon at Nyayo Stadium on November 30, alongside county-level medical camps, candlelight vigils, peer-led dialogues, dignity-kit distributions, and town-hall forums.

AHF teams will host public commemorations featuring free HIV testing, STI screening, prevention education, PrEP information, youth performances, and community mobilization to strengthen awareness and service uptake.

“Africa has made great strides against HIV, but rising infections, especially among adolescents and young women, remind us that the fight isn’t over,” said Martin Matabishi, AHF Africa Bureau Chief.

“To truly transform the AIDS response, we must embrace inclusive health policies, promote combination prevention, and empower communities to lead the fight against stigma and inequality.”

Local AHF leaders highlighted the urgent need to protect adolescents and reconnect the national response to community realities, stressing that innovation, accountability, and equity are essential.

Modern tools, including long-acting injectbles, must be accessible and affordable to have meaningful impact.

World AIDS Day remains a platform to acknowledge progress, remember lives lost, and honor those still fighting HIV/AIDS.

It is also a call to governments to recommit resources and political will and to the media to reclaim their role in shaping public understanding and action.

“Words shape policy. Headlines shape public will. Stories change behaviour. Let us reclaim the HIV narrative, elevate the national conversation, and protect a generation. This World AIDS Day, Kenya’s message aligns with the AHF global call: It’s Not Over,” Dr. Kinyanjui concluded.