Aden Duale presided over the opening session of the 2026 Health Integration Summit in Mombasa County, bringing together government leaders, county officials, civil society, development partners, and regional stakeholders under the theme, “Health Without Barriers for a Holistic HIV Response.”
Convened by the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, the summit served as a platform to reflect on the future of Kenya’s HIV response amid ongoing health sector reforms under the Taifa Care Model.
In his remarks, CS Duale highlighted Kenya’s achievements in the fight against HIV/AIDS, describing it as a global success story. Expanded testing and treatment programs have improved the lives of over 1.3 million Kenyans living with HIV.
Despite these gains, he noted that Kenya still carries the seventh-largest HIV burden globally. Progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets is ongoing, with the country currently at 97-87-83.
CS Duale emphasized vigilance against emerging challenges, including rising mother-to-child transmission and shifting global funding priorities.
He further highlighted the transition in global financing from vertical disease programs to broader health systems strengthening, presenting an opportunity to integrate HIV services within the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) framework through the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which now covers over 29 million Kenyans.
CS Duale stressed the importance of strengthening Primary Health Care networks, ensuring that HIV prevention and treatment are delivered alongside other essential health services.
He also highlighted the role of county governments in safeguarding vulnerable populations, including women, adolescents, and key populations.
The summit concluded with the launch of 20 documents under the Integrated Guidelines for the Prevention, Treatment and Management of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B, marking a significant step toward a more integrated and sustainable national health response.
The session was attended by notable leaders, including Abdulswamad Sherrif, Dr Andrew Mulwa, Brian Rettman (Chairperson, DPH-K), Robert Matiru (Director of Programme Investments, UNITAID), Gerald Macharia (CHAI), Gitai Githinji (AMREF Health Africa), Richard Amenya (Country Director, UNAIDS), as well as representatives from the Christian Health Association of Kenya and the Kenya Red Cross Society.
