88 Kenyans Get Infected With HIV/AIDS Daily

88 Kenyans, among them youth aged between 15 and 24 years are getting infected with HIV/AIDS according to the National Aids Control Council, further demolishing the efforts that had been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Experts say there is a low condom use among Kenyan youth, the majority of who share partners without caring about the consequences. Most who were interviewed “gauge their partners HIV status by use of eyes”… Huyu hawezi kuwa nayo.

A survey done showed that only 44 percent of men with multiple partners used condoms. 44 percent of the new HIV infections in 2020 were among the youth between the ages of 15 and 24. Experts say this is due to a lack of sex education in schools.

Currently, Kenya is facing an acute shortage of both male and female condoms and the government asked Kenyans to use “alternative methods” as the government tries to “solve the problem” and “address the shortage.” GoK sounded like a joke but it is serious.

Kenya needs 455 million condoms annually. The government is only able to provide 1.6 million condoms annually with the rest expected to come from “donors.” The last time the government procured condoms for Kenyans was a year ago.

In 2020, at least 20 million condoms were distributed to Kenyans for free under both the Global Fund and the United Nations Population Fund.

According to Catherine Ngugi, the head of NASCOP, Kenya needs at least 460 million shillings to procure at least 1.3 million male condoms and 884,210 female condoms with funding from donors. But even if Kenya got that amount, it is a drop in the ocean.

The cost of producing one male condom is about 430 shillings while that of producing a female condom is about 38 shillings. The government gets them from donors then distributes them around the country for free. Scarier, there are no condoms at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) warehouses.

Read More: Why Bold Action Against Inequalities Is Needed To End HIV/AIDS