Nairobi — HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE IN Kenya has dropped to a low of just 5.9 per cent, marking the first time prevalence has fallen below 6 per cent in the last 15 years.

According to the state-run National Aids Control Council (NACC), prevalence has fallen steadily from a high of about 14 per cent in the mid-1990s to 6.1 per cent in 2004 and now to the lower 5.9 per cent.

Kenya aims to reduce Aids prevalence to 5.5 per cent by 2010.

"Of notable significance is the decline in new infections from 85,000 in 2004 to 60,000 in 2005 as well as the drop in HIV prevalence in the same period," observed NACC chairlady Prof Miriam Were.

NACC says that the fall in prevalence is attributable to more acceptance of prevention strategies, widespread use of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), greater use of condoms and more responsible sex habits.

Despite the drop in prevalence, however, HIV/Aids experts and even government officials readily admit that major challenges remain before Kenya gets to grips with its HIV/Aids epidemic.

Acknowledged Minister of State for Special Programmes, John Munyes, at the press conference that announced the new figures:

"Although we have made impressive progress in fighting Aids, we still face big challenges."

Among these, Aids experts say, is the provision of ARV treatment to children, which still remains extremely low.

According to Ministry of Health estimates, only 10,000 out of 50,000 children who require treatment with anti-retrovirals are currently on the medicines.

In contrast, nearly 140,000 adults are on the life-saving medicines out of the 250,000 who need them.

The health ministry attributes the discrepancy to the fact that formulations for children are more than twice as expensive as those for adults, as well as the fact that Kenya does not yet have enough qualified paediatric Aids experts.

Lack of equipment to detect HIV infections in newborns has also impacted negatively on the treatment of infected infants.

Closely related to this is the problem of mother-to-child HIV infection, which remains a major challenge despite concerted efforts by such initiatives as the United States President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) to support prevention.

Last year, it is estimated that prevention programmes supported by Pepfar protected up to 30,000 babies born by infected mothers from contracting HIV.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THE emergence of a quiet but deadly epidemic among Kenya's intravenous drug abusers, especially in the country's Coast province.

According to Aids activists, the fact that Kenya does not have a safe needle policy is encouraging abusers to share needles, thus leading to the transmission of HIV.

Elsewhere, the rising incidence of unprotected sex among the young following the widespread accessibility of ARVs, which have made HIV/Aids a manageable disease, is a cause of concern.

While the drugs have saved thousands of lives, experts say, they have also to a large extent had the effect of calming the fear of contracting the disease among some sections of the country's youth.

This has in turn led to a re-emergence of high-risk sexual behaviour.