Kenya faces HIV treatment crisis as only six-month supply of ARV drugs remaining
The freeze has also affected about 41,000 workers, mainly in the health sector, with counties struggling to absorb them.
Kenya's stock of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs could run out in six months following the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) decision to freeze health sector funding, the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) has warned.
The development has sparked anxiety among HIV/AIDS patients, many of whom are rushing to restock their medication, raising fears of an impending shortage.
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The freeze has also affected about 41,000 workers, mainly in the health sector, with counties struggling to absorb them.
This concern emerged during a multi-sectoral consultative meeting on HIV and syndemic disease response held at Lake Naivasha Resort.
Khatru Ali, a board member of NSDCC representing the Council of Governors (COG), emphasised the urgency of addressing the dwindling ARV supply as the impact of the funding cut begins to take effect.
"We have been told that the supplies that we have will last us for around six months and the queue in the hospitals to access those drugs is long because people want to keep stock," she said.
Impacted health services
Khatru acknowledged that the budget cuts had severely impacted health services, particularly those supported by the US government, including HIV programmes, tuberculosis, and malaria interventions.
She also expressed concern over the control of crucial health data, warning of potential disruptions if access to information is lost.
"We are in a mess as all our data are with the US government, and within 90 days, if we are unable to download some of our data, the USAID system will shut down," she said.
However, NSDCC CEO Ruth Masha downplayed fears of an immediate ARV shortage, assuring that the country had adequate stock and was working with other development partners to secure continued supply.
Addressing the press on the sidelines of the meeting, Dr Masha urged HIV/AIDS patients to continue taking their medication, saying there was no anticipated shortfall.
Other funding streams
"The US government contribution was large, but we are going to look at other funding streams and see how we can reorganize ourselves," she said.
She noted that the USAID programme was supporting over 41,500 workers and urged county governments to implement measures to mitigate service disruptions.
Kirinyaga County CEC for Health George Karoki acknowledged the long-standing support from the US government and called for alternative solutions to address the funding gap.
"Due to the funding cut, challenges will come our way many times, but as leaders, we must look for ways and methods of how we get solutions," he said.
With fears of a potential ARV shortage growing, health officials and stakeholders are urging swift intervention to ensure uninterrupted treatment for thousands of HIV/AIDS patients across the country.
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