The government has unveiled 47 County Syndemic Operational Plans alongside the Kenya AIDS Integration Strategic Framework 2025–2030, marking a major shift from a national approach to county-specific strategies in the fight against HIV and interconnected health conditions.
Cabinet Secretary for Health Hon. Aden Duale launched the new roadmap during the 2026 Joint Annual Programme Review convened by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) in Nairobi. The event, held under the theme “Strengthening Evidence-Based, Multisectoral Action for Impact,” brought together representatives from national and county governments, development partners, civil society organisations, and community leaders.
“The launch of the 47 County Syndemic Operational Plans marks a defining moment in Kenya’s health journey,” Duale said. “These plans move us from commitment to action and place counties firmly at the centre of ending AIDS and other syndemic diseases as public health threats by 2030.”
The county plans translate national priorities into specific interventions tailored to the unique needs of each region, reinforcing the role of county governments in delivering responsive and equitable health services.
Progress and Persistent Challenges
Kenya has recorded significant progress in the fight against HIV, with new infections falling by 56 percent since 2020, according to NSDCC data. However, officials raised concern over the growing number of infections among young people and children, who account for more than half of all new HIV infections nationwide, while mother-to-child transmission remains a major concern.
NSDCC Acting CEO Douglas Bosire noted that children account for 24.4 percent of new infections, adding that the county plans will hold local governments accountable and recommit them to ending AIDS.
The framework recognises that HIV often intersects with other health conditions, including tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders. It promotes an integrated, people-centred approach that reduces fragmentation and strengthens overall health system resilience.
County-Led Implementation
Uasin Gishu County Health CECM Janet Kurgat reaffirmed her county’s commitment to implementing comprehensive interventions through the new framework, noting that Uasin Gishu’s HIV prevalence rate of approximately 3.7 percent slightly exceeds the national average of 3.22 percent.
“We cannot afford to be complacent. Every percentage point above the national average represents real people—fathers, mothers and young people—who depend on us for life-saving care,” Kurgat said.
The government’s allocation of KSh 8.9 billion to transition Universal Health Coverage staff to permanent and pensionable terms was also highlighted as a key step in strengthening the health workforce.
“The launch of these documents hold county governments to account and make us committed and recommitted to ending AIDS,” Bosire added.
