No, adolescents don’t account for half of new HIV infections in Kenya

Claim: In Kenya, 49 per cent of new HIV infections occur among adolescents.

Source: Johnson & Johnson tweet (5 June 2019)

• Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson claimed in a tweet that “in Kenya, 49 per cent of new HIV infections occur among adolescents”, and claimed the statistic came from Kenya’s health ministry.
• According to the latest Kenya HIV estimates report, adolescents account for 15.5 per cent of new infections. Despite the lower share, they remain a high-risk population.
• Experts say the much higher, incorrect figure could only be reached by effectively double counting.

Verdict: New HIV infections in adolescents accounted for 16per cent, not 49per cent of the national total

Nearly half of new HIV infections in Kenya are among adolescents, a major drugmaker claimed during an international conference focused on the wellbeing of girls and young women.