The First Lady of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta, visited UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21 May to talk about her Beyond Zero initiative to improve maternal and child health and to reduce the impact of HIV in the country. During her visit, Ms Kenyatta met UNAIDS Executive Director, a.i., Gunilla Carlsson and addressed staff at a town hall meeting.
Since its launch in January 2014, the Beyond Zero initiative has transformed the lives of thousands of women and children across Kenya, mobilizing resources and forging new partnerships to improve health outcomes, with a special emphasis on reducing maternal and child deaths and preventing new HIV infections.
Beyond Zero has delivered more than 50 mobile clinics to every county in Kenya. The clinics have resulted in increased access to and uptake of health-care services. The initiative has also made a significant contribution to the progress made in the country’s AIDS response, with new HIV infections among children down from about 13 000 in 2013 to 8000 in 2017.
With the launch of the Beyond Zero Medical Safari in 2018, the focus is on providing free health care and surgical services, including fistula surgeries, to Kenyans in remoter parts of the country. There is also a strong commitment to increase the social inclusion of children living with disabilities and to engage with adolescents to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
Ms Kenyatta told UNAIDS staff that the response to HIV had to be continued with renewed vigour.
“We cannot leave the battlefield just yet,” she said. “We must recommit ourselves to ending AIDS by 2030 so that in the years to come, when AIDS will be spoken of as a thing of the past, we shall remember the roles we played, however big or small.”
Ms Carlsson thanked Ms Kenyatta for her continued support for the response to HIV.
“The First Lady is an incredible advocate for maternal and child health. She is a champion for issues that are close to our hearts. The Beyond Zero initiative is transforming the lives of women and children across Kenya.”
Accompanying Ms Kenyatta on her visit to UNAIDS were Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Sicily Kariuki, the Chair of the National AIDS Control Council, Nduku Kilonzo, and Kenya’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Cleopa Mailu.
