The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is moving to sustain its HIV programme after more than two decades of support through a health partnership between Kenya and the United States.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The development follows growing pressure on HIV/AIDS programmes as external support declines, with the KDF now exploring ways to strengthen institutional ownership and maintain critical health interventions.

The issue emerged during a meeting between the KDF and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), which focused on medical research, disease surveillance, and the HIV/AIDS response.

The Vice Chief of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General John Omenda, hosted a delegation from HJF led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Major General (Rtd) Dr Joseph Carvalho, at Defence Headquarters in Nairobi.

📌 What You Need to Know

Discussions centred on strengthening cooperation in health research and healthcare delivery while exploring sustainable approaches to addressing emerging and existing health challenges affecting military personnel.

The discussions come as Kenya records significant progress in its fight against HIV. According to a UNAIDS special report released in July 2026, Kenya has achieved an almost 80 per cent reduction in new HIV infections since 2010, placing it among only seven countries globally to reach such a decline.

The other countries are Benin, Eswatini, Lesotho, Nepal, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, with UNAIDS citing the progress as evidence that sustained prevention and treatment programmes can significantly reduce HIV infections.

In Kenya, estimated new HIV infections fell from about 70,000 in 2010 to 13,936 in 2025, representing a decline of roughly 80 per cent over 15 years.

New infections also dropped by 56 per cent between 2020 and 2025, from 32,027 to 13,936, as access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment expanded.

The KDF partnership with the United States dates back to 2003 and has been implemented through the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research–Africa (WRAIR-A) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation Medical Research International (HJFMRI).

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke