By KPC Reporter
More men in Kenya are dying from HIV-AIDs related complications compared to women.
This is despite fewer men living with the virus, latest data from a state organ shows.
Also Read
Statistics from the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) shows that more than 1.38 million people are living with HIV in the country.
Men account for 25 percent (487,710) of the total cases.
Despite having a lower HIV prevalence (2.2%) compared to women (4.5%), more men have been dying from complications related to the virus.
The statistics covered the year 2023 where men accounted for the 26 of the 56 daily deaths attributed to AIDS -related complications.
This highlights a disproportionately high death rate among males, according to the report.
NSDCC Deputy Director Caroline Kinoti attributes this partly to men’s reluctance to seek healthcare early, with many going to hospital when the viral load has grown to dangerous levels.
“Unlike women, who often interact with health systems during pregnancy and receive HIV testing, men rarely seek medical attention unless critically ill,” she said.
Kinoti noted that this delay often leads to late diagnoses and poorer outcomes.
She spoke during a workshop held in Machakos recently.
*Substance Abuse* “While Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) uptake among men has improved from 81 percent in 2020 to 90 percent in 2023, this is still below the UNAIDS target of 95 percent,” Kinoti said.
She noted that men also face additional challenges, including high rates of substance abuse, crime and limited engagement in preventive health programmes.
In 2023, Kenya recorded 16,752 new HIV infections, with men accounting for 4,062 cases.
Notably, adolescentsand young adults (ages 15- 34) constituted 73 percent of all new adult infections, with men significantly represented in this bracket.
However, according to the data, men faced a disproportionate burden of HIV-AIDS- related mortality in that year, representing 48 percent (9,808 deaths) of all such fatalities despite comprising just over a third of those living with the virus .
“This disparity is largely due to poor health-seeking behaviors, delayed testing and inconsistent treatment adherence among men,” Kinoti said.
She noted that this leaves men more vulnerable to severe outcomes.
Mr Reuben Musundi, the deputy director in charge of partnerships and advocacy at NSDCC, raised concern about the disproportionate number of HIV-AIDS related deaths in Kenya.
“Although men account for 35 percent of all people living with the virus, close to half (48% of all HIV-AIDS -related deaths occured among men. Six in every 10 adult men who died from causes related to the virus last year were aged between 35 and 54 years,” he said.
Japheth Kuko, the head of monitoring and evaluation at NSDCC, revealed that new HIV infections have significantly decreased since 2013.
Last year, at least 16,752 Kenyans were newly infected with HIV, with majority being adolescents and youth aged between and 34 years.
This marked a reduction of approximately 5,000 cases from the 22,154 new infections reported in 2022.
Mr kuko noted that last year, 8,937 women tested positive for the virus compared to 4,072 men and 3,743 children below 14 years.
“Kenya has 1.4 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence of 3.3 percent.
In 2023, there were 16,752 new infections, 39 percent of which were among those in the 15 -24 bracket.
AIDS-related deaths totalled 20,480, with men accounting for 48 percent of these deaths,” said Kioko.
“Adolescents and young adults (15-34) make up 73 percent of new adult infections,” he said.
HIV prevalence ranges from 0.1% in wajir to 11.7 percent in Kisumu, and 51 percent of new infections are concentrated in nine counties.
The nine counties are Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, Nairobi, and Mombasa.
The regions remain key focal areas in the fight against HIV, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to address the epidemic’s disproportionate impact on their populations.
“While new infections have dropped by 83 percent since 2013, challenges remain , including lower ART adherence, limited PrEP uptake, and gaps in HIV testing and antenatal care,” he added.
