Nairobi County is one of the hotspots for new HIV infections in Kenya: It is one of the eight out of a total of 47 counties in which more than half of all new infections in 2020 took place (from Ministry of Health: Kenya World Aids Day Progress 2013-2021). In our outpatient clinic in Nairobi’s Mathare Valley slum, we care for infected and sick people, educate them about infection routes, protection options and the course of the disease. Our health workers and social workers make home visits to see patients who do not come to the outpatient clinic and check that they are taking their medication.
Concern about increase in new HIV infections
The lack of test kits is alarming. We used to test 240 people a week, but now we have an average of 45 rapid tests per week. On some days, we no longer have any tests because the government’s promised supply is not working as it should. This causes us great concern, because only those who know their status can protect their partners and unborn babies and help themselves. The disease is still associated with a huge stigma in Kenya: Infected people are ostracized and shunned, lose their jobs and are sometimes also ostracized within their families.
