The Global Fund HIV Grant Program, managed by the Kenya Red Cross, has made significant strides in HIV prevention in Kilifi over the past three years.
As the program comes to a close, partners are celebrating the notable reduction in HIV prevalence, which has dropped from 4pc three years ago to 2.5pc this year.
Kenya Red Cross Regional Program Coordinator Msallam Ahmed highlighted the program’s achievements in a press briefing as the partners celebrated this milestone.
He emphasized that the initiative targeted specific high-risk groups in line with the Kenya AIDS Strategic Framework’s goals, which include reducing HIV prevalence and mortality rates and combating stigma and discrimination.
Ahmed explained that the program focused on young people living with HIV/AIDS, HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission, discordant couples, men in high-risk settings, and other vulnerable populations.
The program, which ran from July 2021 to June 2024, saw a marked decrease in HIV incidents. Ahmed credited the success to the collaborative efforts of various partners, including KANCO, AMKENI, MZAZI Foundation, OMARI Project, JIINUE, and Connect to Retain.
Despite the conclusion of this grant cycle, Ahmed announced that a new grant has been secured to continue the program, although on a smaller scale due to reduced funding.
