HIV at 40: How Kenya has fought HIV/AIDS epidemic since reporting its first case in 1984

In 1984, Kenya reported its first case of HIV, sending panic and shock waves across the country. Coupled with inadequate information about the virus, stigma was the immediate calamity that befell those who tested positive for the virus and they would often die in isolation after enduring months of suffering. However, the country has since made significant strides in medical research and social acceptance leading to a declining rate of AIDS related deaths. And as the country gears up to mark 4 decades of concerted efforts to eradicate HIV as a public health concern, Laura Otieno takes stock of how far the country has come in fighting the AIDS epidemic.