As Kenya prepares to mark World AIDS Day 2025, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Kenya, in partnership with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and NASCOP, has launched the Voices of Impact: HIV & STIs Media Awards 2026. The nationwide initiative aims to revive strong, ethical and people-centred journalism on HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
The launch comes amid renewed concern over rising HIV infections among adolescents. New cases among young people aged 10–19 increased by 34 percent in one year—from 2,083 in 2023 to 2,799 in 2024—contributing to 19,991 new infections nationally. Kenya currently has an estimated 1.3 million people living with HIV. Children account for 22 percent of new infections and 13 percent of HIV-related deaths, while adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 now represent nearly one-third of all new cases.
“Members of the fourth estate can change a national conversation with 600 words and a headline that fits on a smartphone screen,” said Dr. Samuel Kinyanjui, Country Director of AHF Kenya. “We, on the other hand, often need a 60-page policy document, three stakeholder workshops and a prayer. These Awards are a national nudge—a reminder that Kenya’s HIV story still matters.”
Dr. Kinyanjui noted that as media attention has declined, the daily realities of millions of Kenyans have slipped to the margins, confined to annual commemorations and technical reports. The new awards seek to return journalists to the centre of the national HIV discourse.
The Voices of Impact Awards will accept entries highlighting HIV prevention, treatment, stigma reduction, health equity and treatment retention. The overall winner will receive KES 500,000 and the title HIV & STIs Media Champion – Kenya (2026). Organisers hope the initiative will strengthen the media’s role in the HIV response and inspire more impactful, socially relevant coverage.
This year’s broader campaign is anchored on what experts call the “triple threat” facing adolescents: rising HIV infections, persistent teenage pregnancies and increasing cases of sexual and gender-based violence. While adolescent pregnancies have dropped—from 396,840 in 2019 to 240,915 in 2024—the numbers remain alarmingly high. Sexual and gender-based violence cases involving children aged 10–17 reached 17,361 in 2024, while girls aged 10–14 now account for nearly 4 percent of all teenage pregnancies. Mother-to-child HIV transmission has also risen to 9.3 percent, almost double the global target.
The financial strain is significant. Kenya spends an estimated KES 25 billion annually on HIV treatment, KES 46 billion responding to gender-based violence, and adolescent pregnancy is projected to cost the country 17 percent of GDP over the lifetime of affected girls.
“If we ignore one piece of that knot, the rest tightens,” said Douglas Bosire, Acting CEO of NSDCC, calling for a whole-of-society approach to the intertwined crises.
To amplify the message, organisers also announced a national half-marathon scheduled for 30 November 2025 at Nyayo Stadium, alongside county-level activities including medical camps, candlelight vigils, peer dialogues, distribution of dignity kits and town-hall forums.
At the centre of the campaign, the Voices of Impact: HIV & STIs Media Awards will honour journalism that deepens public understanding of prevention, testing and treatment; exposes policy and access gaps; and humanises the lived experiences of people affected by HIV and STIs. A high-level jury of senior journalists, public health experts and academics will judge entries based on originality, accuracy, ethical standards, innovation, storytelling quality and public engagement.
“There will be no favouritism, no shortcuts and certainly no ‘I know someone who knows someone’ situations,” Bosire said. “Integrity is non-negotiable.”
Paul Oyier, Manager of Government Relations and Stakeholder Engagement at the Media Council of Kenya, reiterated that the judging process will uphold strict independence and zero tolerance for conflict of interest.
Submissions will be made through the official portal: www.voicesofimpact.site.
Organisers emphasise that the initiative is not simply an award ceremony but a national movement to strengthen health desks in newsrooms, expand county-level reporting, sharpen public discourse and bolster accountability as Kenya pushes toward ending AIDS by 2030.
“Words shape policy. Headlines shape public will. And stories change behaviour,” Dr. Kinyanjui said. “Let us reclaim the HIV narrative, elevate the national conversation and protect a generation.”