Abstract:
With 1.3 million people infected and 150,000
deaths
in 2003, the HIV/AIDS
epidemic
con-
tinues
to greatly impact on the Kenyan
society.
Sentinel
surveillance
data since 1990 display
a regionally-varying
epidemic which suggests
disparity
in the transmission
of HIV/AIDS
and in
the factors influencing
its spatial
diffusion
and intensity
across the country.
At the national
level, the epidemic
has been higher among
the urban
residents.
However,
provincially
disag-
gregated
prevalence
does not show correlation
with the percentage
population
that
is urban.
In spite of this, circular
migration
as migrants
maintain
link with their rural homes could be
influencing
constant
diffusion between
the rural and urban
areas.
High prevalence
levels
in
Nyanza
province, which has high poverty
incidence,
suggest
the role of poverty
in the spread
of the epidemic.
However, low prevalence
in North Eastern
province, which has equally-high
poverty
incidence,
indicates
that there
is more than poverty
in the spatial
diffusion dynamics
of the epidemic.
Positively-strong
correlation
with the Nilotic ethnic group and negative
corre-
lation with the Central
Bantu,
the Western
Hamitic,
and the Eastern
Hamitic
suggest
the in-
fluence
of cultural
practices
in the spatial
patterns
of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic.
An expansive
surveillance
system
at lower administrative
level would provide more information
to explore
further
the factors influencing
the spatial
patterns
for better
mitigation
intervention
of the
epidemic
in Kenya.
