HIV/AIDS, The Pandemic.

The World AIDS day was marked yesterday with Kenya reporting some significant strides it has managed to achieve in the war against the viral disease. Kenya has a severe, generalized HIV epidemic, but in recent years, we have experienced a notable decline in HIV prevalence, attributed in part to significant behavioral change and increased access to ART. Women face considerably higher risk of HIV infection than men, and also experience a shorter life expectancy due to HIV/AIDS. In Kenya, the HIV prevalence rate stands at eight percent in adult women and four percent in adult men. Populations in Kenya especially at risk include injecting drug users and people in prostitution, whose prevalence rates are estimated at 53 percent and 27 percent, respectively.



Since 2000, the World Bank has provided $1.9 billion for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in over 30 Sub-Saharan African countries and 5 regional programs. FY09 HIV/AIDS commitments totaled $293 million – an increase from $64 million in FY08 – while the FY10 pipeline is projected at $76 million as of September 2009. FY10-11 pipeline projects under preparation would support national HIV/AIDS programs in Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Niger and Chad.

Since 2006, the Bank has supported 4.3 million persons aged 15 and older to receive HIV counseling, testing and their test results while 3 million pregnant women living with HIV received antenatal care during a visit from a health provider. Furthermore, the Bank has also contributed to 50 to 70 percent of Sub Saharan African countries with observed improvements in behavior change of men and women aged 15 to 24.

Implementation of the Africa HIV/AIDS Agenda for Action (AFA), 2007-2011 has made considerable progress in: Accelerating implementation and closing funding gaps by responding to demands from hyper-epidemic middle income countries facing the economic crisis including assessing the fiscal implications of scaling up national AIDS programs in Botswana and South Africa and addressing groups at most risk to HIV; Supporting long term sustainable strategies and strengthening national systems including improved strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, integration with health systems to address TB/HIV co-infection and linkages with reproductive health and nutrition, governance and social accountability, supply chain management, HIV/AIDS impact evaluation, and monitoring and evaluation; Contributing to knowledge generation and learning through building capacity and promoting cross-country knowledge sharing; and Improving donor coordination through joint annual planning and support to the Three Ones. HIV/AIDS affects us all,lets all rise to the occassion and fight against stigma.