The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, has urged county governments to prioritize HIV prevention by integrating it into their healthcare services.
Speaking during a health workshop in Naivasha, Dr. Oluga raised alarm over the increasing number of HIV infections among young people, particularly those aged between 15 and 24.
“We have issues of prevention that we want counties to now start integrating into their healthcare services,” said Dr. Oluga.
He noted that recent data shows nearly 6,000 new HIV cases were reported among adolescents and young adults, a trend he described as worrying.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Health has already established a prevention coordination framework at the county level.
This includes surveillance officers and community health promoters working together to reduce new infections. “We are working to consolidate efforts and ensure our interventions are both sustainable and resilient going forward,” he said.
Dr. Oluga attributed the growing number of new cases among teenagers to a lack of adequate education and weak enforcement of existing prevention strategies.
He stressed the need for a more focused and inclusive approach to protect vulnerable youth across the country.
The Principal Secretary made the remarks while officiating the opening of the Joint Annual Program Review Workshop on the Syndemic Strategic Framework.
The event was organized by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) and brought together county health leaders and development partners.
Dr. Oluga also pointed out that recent changes in health sector financing have forced the government to rethink how it funds responses to syndemic diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
He said the workshop offers a key platform to track progress and design better ways to implement Universal Health Coverage.
“This workshop provides an opportunity to assess county-level progress, but more importantly, to shape how we move forward in responding to syndemic diseases and implementing Universal Health Coverage,” he said.
