Remarks · 24 September 2024
Your Excellencies, Fellow Heads of State, and Government, Executive Director of the United Nations, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am grateful to join you in this critically important dialogue. More than four decades after the world first became aware of the virus that has since transformed the fabric of our societies and challenged many assumptions about security and vulnerability, we now find ourselves at a pivotal moment in our shared journey.
As we celebrate the progress in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we also witness the power of multilateralism in fostering transformative global partnerships. To do justice to our theme, I would like to share Kenya's experiences to lay the foundation for discussing the mechanisms through which we can collectively recommit to ending AIDS together through revitalised multilateralism.
The undeniable success and impact of Kenya’s response to HIV demonstrates the potential of strong partnerships. I must emphasise that our steadfast commitment to multilateralism has been the cornerstone of these achievements, enabling us to implement high-impact interventions that have saved lives, drastically reduced new infections, and significantly improved the quality of life for millions living with HIV.
Effective multilateralism allowed us to engage with entities like the United Nations and UNAIDS, greatly enhancing our efforts in resource mobilisation, advocating for the rights of people living with HIV, and providing sustainable, inclusive support.
Kenya is now close to achieving epidemic control, having met the 95-95-95 global targets: 95% of people know their HIV status, 102% of those diagnosed are receiving treatment, and 97% of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression. Despite a 65% reduction in AIDS-related deaths since 2013, the incidence rate remained at 0.39 per 1,000 people in 2023, with the majority of new infections occurring among those under 34 years old.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including women, girls, adolescents, and key populations, exacerbated by healthcare inequities, stigma, and discrimination. This intersection of adversities highlights the urgency of scaling up multilateral interventions to address the compounded vulnerabilities faced by these groups.
We are at a critical juncture where traditional strategies are insufficient to meet our goal of ending AIDS by 2030. While past approaches were rooted in healthcare, they often overlooked broader drivers of infection, such as social and economic disparities, poverty, illiteracy, and environmental factors.
Our theme calls for coordinated, inclusive, and multi-sectoral approaches to ensure universal access to prevention, treatment, and care. It also urges us to re-energise our efforts, from strengthening global partnerships and securing sustainable financing to promoting equity and human rights, leveraging innovation, and building resilient health systems.
Kenya has historically relied on bilateral and multilateral aid to fund its annual HIV budget, which stands at KES 25.4 billion. However, with declining external funding, it is imperative that we develop robust mechanisms to make our HIV response funding more predictable and efficient.
To this end, Kenya is implementing a Financing Transition Roadmap that focuses on governance, stewardship, domestic resource mobilisation, program efficiency, and sector-wide integration. This roadmap aims to align HIV strategies with national healthcare and economic plans while enhancing accountability.
Additionally, Kenya has committed to implementing universal healthcare coverage, which includes a comprehensive overhaul of the national health system. This reform aims to protect citizens from health vulnerabilities during crises by prioritising equitable access to healthcare services and integrating HIV services into broader health and social protection frameworks.
I firmly believe that the many valuable lessons from our national HIV/AIDS response can guide us in renewing our partnerships and securing the political support essential for the success of multilateral institutions. This event offers us a platform to recommit to partnership and collective action on a global scale, ensuring that HIV never again poses a threat to our people, communities, or the world. Thank you.