Health officials and residents in Elgeyo Marakwet County are raising alarm over a critical shortage of condoms, which they warn could reverse gains made in the fight against HIV/AIDS
According to Professor Sylvester Kimaiyo, Chief of Party at the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), the county currently has 6,609 people living with HIV. Women remain the most affected, accounting for 2.6% of the infected population, while men account for 1.3%.
“This shortage is a significant setback in our efforts to prevent new infections,” Prof. Kimaiyo said. He emphasized the importance of sustained condom availability as a frontline defense against the virus.
The ongoing condom scarcity is being linked to a reported rise in new HIV infections across the county, prompting concern among health workers and community leaders.
In the short term, renewed funding from the U.S. government has been secured to support prevention and treatment programs under AMPATH. However, the funding is only set to last six months, raising concerns about what will happen thereafter.
In response, Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisely Rotich has assured residents that the county is putting in place internal strategies to bridge the looming funding and supply gap. “We are working to ensure that efforts to fight HIV will not stall once the external support ends,” he stated.
Health advocates are now calling for a more sustainable, locally driven approach to HIV prevention, warning that reliance on donor aid alone is not enough to secure long-term public health gains.
Written By Rodney Mbua
