HIV and AIDS in the City: Prevalence among Residents of Informal Urban Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

Abdhalah K. Ziraba, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
John Kebaso, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Samoel Khamadi, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)
Vincent Okoth, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)
Matilu Mwau, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)

HIV prevalence in urban areas is higher than in rural areas but the magnitude of the problem among the urban poor is not known.We conducted an HIV sero-survey in two informal urban settlements of Nairobi to estimate the prevalence of HIV. A random sample of 6,260 men and women aged between 15 and 54 years was drawn. Analysis of the data shows that HIV prevalence is about 14% in one location and 10% in another. For Nairobi City, the prevalence from the 2003 Kenya DHS was 10%. Teenage slum residents and those aged 45+ years have about twice the HIV prevalence of people of the same ages in the city. Overall, slum residents appear to have higher HIV prevalence than other residents of Nairobi City. The heterogeneity in HIV prevalence between the two slum communities appears to be as a result of differences in ethnicity, age, and sex compositions.