Why 'disco matanga' is to blame for high HIV prevalence

Night party lovers enjoy music on the dance floor. [Getty Images]

Western Kenya’s Nyanza region remains one of the areas hardest hit by HIV/AIDS pandemic.

According to the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDC), Homa Bay county records the highest prevalence at about 15.2 per cent, compared with the national average prevalence of 3.3 per cent.

While previous studies and community reports have linked HIV infections in the region to factors such as widow inheritance, low circumcision rates and fish-for sex economy, new research by Strathmore University points to social gatherings, especially funeral discos as emerging hotspots for new inspections.

The study, titled “Estimated HIV Risk Around Funeral Practices and Mitigation Strategies in Western Kenya: A Mathematical Modelling Study,” was led by Prof Samuel M Mwalili.

“Disco funerals or disco matanga are culturally significant events in western Kenya but create high-risk settings for HIV transmission due to factors such as overnight travel, alcohol use, and transactional or coerced sex,” says Prof Mwalili.

The study found that disco funerals accounted for about 7.8 per cent of HIV infections between 1980 and 2024, with the peak recorded in 2004 at 9.9 per cent. looking ahead to 2025–2050, projections suggest that biomedical prevention, behavioural interventions such as condom use and partner reduction and female empowerment could avert 9.7 per cent, 2.9 per cent and 1.2 per cent of new HIV infections, respectively.

Researchers not that disco funerals often draw large crowds of young people, especially unmarried women, for overnight vigils, dancing and fundraising. These setting, they say, create conditions that heighten the risk of HIV transmission.

With Kenya aiming to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, the study highlights disco funerals as a culturally rooted but overlooked area for targeted HIV prevention efforts.

“Despite extensive HIV prevention efforts, funeral practices such as disco matanga remain largely overlooked in policy and programming,” the researchers note. “Young women are disproportionately affected due to gender norms and limited agency. Current measures such as restricting children or banning night events, have been inconsistent and difficult to enforce.”

The landmark study proposes several policy interventions to reduce infections among funeral attendees prone to high-risk behaviour. It highlights oral or injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a highly effective prevention tool, reducing the risk of HIV acquisition by up to 95 per cent per act when used consistently and potentially averting nearly 9.7 per cent of adult infections.

Other recommendations include promoting condom use, reducing alcohol and drug consumption and discouraging multiple sexual partnerships at disco funerals through targeted community outreach.

The study describes this as a low-cost, culturally adaptable approach capable of preventing up to 2.9 per cent of new HIV infections.

“Empowering women and girls to avoid unwanted sexual encounters at funerals through economic support, community sensitisation, and safe spaces addresses the root causes of vulnerability and gender inequities, while offering long-term benefits beyond HIV prevention,” says Prof Mwalili, a statistician, mathematical modeller, and Adjunct Professor at Strathmore University.

The study emphasizes that policy should focus not on banning disco funerals, but on transforming them into safer spaces through culturally sensitive, community-driven interventions.

“Coordinated action between government, civil society, and local leaders is crucial to normalize HIV prevention within funeral practices. By treating disco funerals as both cultural assets and public health opportunities, Kenya can protect tradition while advancing toward an HIV-free generation,” the researchers conclude.