Kenya Unveils HIV Media Awards as Infections Climb Among Adolescents and Young People

As Kenya prepares to mark World AIDS Day 2025, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Kenya, in partnership with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and NASCOP, today launched the Voices of Impact: HIV & STIs Media Awards 2026—a national initiative designed to revive rigorous, ethical and people-centred journalism on HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

The launch comes at a time of growing concern. New HIV infections among adolescents aged 10–19 rose by 34 percent in a single year, from 2,083 in 2023 to 2,799 in 2024, contributing to 19,991 new infections nationally despite decades of progress in prevention and treatment. Dr. Andrew Mulwa, the Head of National AIDs and STIs Control Program, noted that Kenya remains home to an estimated 1.3 million people living with HIV, with children accounting for 22 percent of new infections and 13 percent of HIV-related deaths, while adolescents and young people aged 10–24 now make up almost a third of all new cases.

“Members of the fourth estate can change a national conversation with 600 words and a headline that fits on a smartphone screen,” said Dr Samuel Kinyanjui, Country Director of AHF Kenya, at the launch. “We, on the other hand, often need a 60-page policy document, three stakeholder workshops, and a prayer. These Awards are a national nudge—a reminder that Kenya’s HIV story still matters.”

As media attention has receded, he added, the lived realities of millions of Kenyans have been pushed to the margins, confined largely to annual commemorations and technical reports. The Voices of Impact Awards aim to reverse that trend by placing journalists back at the centre of the national HIV conversation.

The Voices of Impact Awards will allow journalists to submit entries that cover critical issues such as HIV prevention, care, stigma reduction, health equity, and treatment retention. The grand prize for the competition will be KES 500,000, with the winner also earning the title of HIV & STIs Media Champion – Kenya (2026). This initiative aims to not only celebrate the media’s role in the HIV response but also to encourage more impactful and socially relevant reporting on the epidemic.

This year’s campaign focuses on what experts describe as the “triple threat” facing Kenyan youth: rising HIV infections, persistent adolescent pregnancies, and escalating sexual and gender-based violence. While adolescent pregnancies have declined from 396,840 in 2019 to 240,915 in 2024, the numbers remain critically high. Reports of sexual and gender-based violence among children aged 10–17 climbed to 17,361 cases in 2024, while girls aged 10–14 now account for nearly four percent of all adolescent pregnancies. At the same time, mother-to-child transmission of HIV has risen to 9.3 percent, almost double the global target.

The economic cost is equally stark. Kenya spends an estimated KES 25 billion each year on HIV treatment and KES 46 billion responding to gender-based violence, while adolescent pregnancy alone is estimated to contribute to a 17 percent loss in GDP over the lifetime of affected girls.

“If we ignore one piece of that knot, the rest tightens,” said Douglas Bosire, Acting CEO of NSDCC, noting that the interconnected crises demand a whole-of-society response.

To reinforce that message, organisers announced a national half-marathon at Nyayo Stadium on 30 November 2025, alongside county-level events across the country, including medical camps, candlelight vigils, peer-led dialogues, the distribution of dignity kits, and town-hall forums.

At the heart of the campaign are the Voices of Impact: HIV & STIs Media Awards, which will recognise reporting that deepens understanding of prevention, testing and treatment, exposes gaps in policy and access, and humanises the experiences of individuals and communities affected by HIV and STIs. Entries will be judged by a high-level panel of senior journalists, public health experts, and academics based on originality, accuracy, ethical standards, innovation, storytelling quality, and public engagement.

“There will be no favouritism, no shortcuts, and certainly no ‘I know someone who knows someone’ situations,” Bosire emphasised. “Integrity is non-negotiable.”

Mr. Paul Oyier, Manager of Government Relations and Stakeholder Engagement at Media Council of Kenya, revealed that a high-level jury of senior journalists, public health experts and academics will judge entries based on: originality, accuracy, ethical standards, innovation, storytelling quality and public engagement, with zero tolerance for conflicts of interest

Submissions will be made through the official portal, www.voicesofimpact.site.

Organisers describe the initiative as a national movement rather than a mere award ceremony, aimed at strengthening health desks in media houses, increasing county-level reporting, deepening public discourse, improving accountability and accelerating Kenya’s progress toward ending AIDS by 2030.

“Words shape policy. Headlines shape public will. And stories change behaviour,” Dr Kinyanjui concluded. “Let us reclaim the HIV narrative, elevate the national conversation and protect a generation.”

Read Also: Kenya Might See 60,000 New HIV Infections By 2030 After USAID Vamoosed