BUNGOMA, Kenya — Health officials in Bungoma County have raised concern over a growing trend where men avoid HIV testing and instead depend on their wives or partners to determine their HIV status. The worrying revelation comes as Kenya marked World AIDS Day on December 1, a global event dedicated to honouring lives lost, celebrating progress in HIV response, and reaffirming commitment to ending the epidemic.
Speaking during the county’s World AIDS Day commemoration at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) grounds in Bungoma, County Director for Health and Sanitation, Dr. Caleb Watta, warned that the trend poses a major setback in the fight against new infections. The event ran under the theme “One Race, One Goal.”
According to Dr. Watta, recent county statistics show that HIV infections are still highest among women—partly because men are not presenting themselves for testing.
“We have done our statistics and it shows that men want their wives or partners to test for HIV so that they know their status from it,” he said. “Even during the World AIDS Day activities, only females came up for HIV testing.”
Dr. Watta noted that many men continue to postpone testing, with some telling health workers they would “test next week.” He cautioned that relying on a partner’s results is risky.
“One partner testing negative doesn’t mean the other is safe. There is something called the window period—your results may show later,” he advised.
Despite the behavioural challenges, Bungoma County has made notable strides in reducing overall HIV prevalence. Ministry of Health data shows that the county’s HIV prevalence dropped from 2.3% in 2023 to 1.7% in 2025.
Dr. Watta credited improved collaboration between the county government and various health partners for the gains, especially in addressing the so-called “triple threats”—new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence.
However, he noted that new infections in Bungoma currently stand at 679, with young people contributing the largest share. Nationally, mother-to-child transmission of HIV rose from 7.3% in 2023 to 9.3% in 2024, surpassing the global threshold of 5%.
Dr. Watta linked the county’s rising HIV cases to increased gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies. According to recent findings, 78% of pregnancies resulting from rape or defilement occur among adolescents aged 10–19.
“Through gender violence and teen pregnancy cases is where people get new HIV infections,” he stated, describing defilement as a “deeply traumatic experience with long-lasting consequences.”
To encourage testing among young people, Bungoma now has youth-friendly service centres across local health facilities where adolescents can walk in and get HIV services discreetly.
“If you fear going for HIV testing, we have erected youth-friendly centres where youths can walk in and be tested without anyone seeing you,” Dr. Watta said.
The county currently has 182 public and 172 private health facilities, serving a population of approximately two million residents—resources Dr. Watta believes are adequate to support healthcare needs if fully utilised.
The health official urged residents—especially men—to take responsibility for their health by seeking timely testing and treatment. He further encouraged those living with HIV to adhere to medication to suppress the virus effectively.
Dr. Watta also attributed part of the surge in new infections to the withdrawal of USAID support, which he said had previously played a critical role in outreach, prevention, and treatment programs.
World AIDS Day, established in 1988 as the first international health day, continues to serve as a powerful platform to sustain the fight against HIV/AIDS. As Bungoma pushes toward the national goal of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030, health officials say increased male participation, strengthened prevention efforts, and restored funding remain critical to success.
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