Kenya has recorded an almost 80 per cent reduction in new HIV infections since 2010, placing the country among a small group of nations that have made major progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

According to a UNAIDS special report released in July 2026 ahead of the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Kenya is one of only seven countries globally to achieve an almost 80 per cent reduction in new HIV infections since 2010.

The other countries are Benin, Eswatini, Lesotho, Nepal, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The progress puts Kenya among countries demonstrating that sustained HIV prevention and treatment programmes can significantly reduce the spread of the virus.

In Kenya, the estimated number of new HIV infections has fallen from about 70,000 in 2010 to 13,936 in 2025, representing a decline of roughly 80 per cent over 15 years. New infections were also 56 per cent lower in 2025 than the 32,027 recorded in 2020.

📌 What You Need to Know

Kenya has also achieved the global 95-95-95 HIV treatment targets, according to UNAIDS. This means 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed are receiving antiretroviral treatment, and 95 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression.

The progress means more Kenyans living with HIV are accessing treatment and maintaining suppressed levels of the virus, improving their health while reducing the likelihood of sexual transmission.

However, the national gains mask significant differences between counties, with new HIV infections remaining concentrated in some urban centres and counties around the Lake Victoria region.

In 2025, Nairobi recorded the highest estimated number of new HIV infections at 1,516, followed by Kisumu with 1,057, Homa Bay with 985 and Migori with 970. The figures show that despite the national decline, some parts of the country continue to carry a significant share of new infections.

The progress has been supported by expanded HIV testing, access to antiretroviral treatment, viral-load monitoring and targeted prevention programmes, alongside improved systems for tracking and responding to the epidemic.

But UNAIDS has warned that Kenya's gains could come under pressure as global financing for HIV programmes declines. International HIV financing fell by more than Ksh193 billion (US$1.5 billion), from Ksh1.13 trillion (US$8.8 billion) in 2024 to Ksh942 billion (US$7.3 billion) in 2025.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke