A story about children losing HIV support after USAID’s abrupt funding withdrawal has earned Willow Health Media’s Nathan Ochunge the top digital prize at Kenya’s inaugural Voices of Impact HIV & STIs Reporting Media Awards 2026.
Willow Health Media’s multimedia journalist Nathan Ochunge was honoured at the inaugural Voices of Impact HIV & STIs Reporting Media Awards 2026 on June 19.
Nathan was named first runner-up overall and won the top prize in the digital category for his story, “Hanging by a Thread: ‘I don’t know how much longer the children can hold on’.”
The awards, a national journalism initiative convened by AHF Kenya in partnership with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC), the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCOP), and the Media Council of Kenya, were established to recognise rigorous, ethical, people-centred reporting on HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
Ochunge’s winning story, published on Willow Health Media, chronicles the collapse of the 4TheChild Programme in Bungoma County following the abrupt withdrawal of USAID funding. The piece centres on Patrick Osakho, a caregiver raising two nephews, both living with HIV, after the death of their parents from HIV-related complications. Osakho and some 6,500 other orphaned and vulnerable children across 3,000 households lost the Ksh30 million in annual support that had provided them with school fees, meals, and antiretroviral therapy.
The story put faces to what might otherwise have remained a policy abstraction, weaving the voices of caregivers, community health workers, and people living with HIV to expose the human cost of donor withdrawal.
The piece also turned its lens on Kisumu County, where Merab Oguna, 52, who has lived with HIV for 24 years and leads a community-based tuberculosis support group, described how the sudden dismissal of USAID staff left HIV clients afraid to collect their own medication. In her words, the integration of HIV care into general outpatient queues effectively forced people who had kept their status private to collect antiretroviral drugs alongside neighbours picking up malaria tablets.
“By exposing us,” she told Ochunge, “they want us to die.”
Accepting the award, Ochunge said the recognition carried significance well beyond any individual achievement.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this recognition at the Voices of Impact HIV & STIs Media Awards,” he said. “Winning first runners-up overall and taking the top prize in the digital category for Hanging by a Thread is not just a personal achievement, it is a testament to the power of human-centred health journalism.”
He described the story as giving a platform to lives that rarely register in public discourse.
“This story gave a voice to children and families whose struggles are often invisible. The award affirms that journalism can drive conversations about accountability, health equity, and the real-life consequences of policy and funding decisions.”
For Ochunge, the recognition is an encouragement to push further into the margins of public health coverage.
“For me as a journalist, it is encouragement to continue pursuing impactful reporting that puts people at the centre of the story, especially those living on the margins of society.”
The award carries particular weight for Willow Health Media, which is Kenya’s first dedicated digital health media platform, founded on the belief that health stories deserve depth, evidence, and humanity.
Ochunge said the prize validated that mission.
He was keen to share the moment with those who made the reporting possible in the first place.
“It is also a tribute to the courageous families, healthcare workers, advocates, and communities who trusted us with their stories. Their voices are the reason this work matters.”
Looking ahead, Ochunge said the award sharpens rather than softens his editorial ambitions.
“Going forward, the award strengthens our resolve to continue producing rigorous, solutions-focused health journalism that informs the public, amplifies underserved voices, and contributes to better health outcomes in Kenya and across Africa.”
The Voices of Impact Awards recognise journalism that advances public understanding of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Ochunge’s recognition highlights the importance of reporting that documents how policy and funding decisions affect the lives of ordinary people.
The overall Voices of Impact HIV & STIs Media Champion 2026 award went to Millicent Kubai of KBC Radio for Life Beyond the Diagnosis, a radio feature examining life after an HIV diagnosis among young people. Agutu Rosa of KTN/The Standard took second runner-up. Judges noted that the top entries were separated by only a few points, underscoring the quality and competitiveness of this year’s awards.
Photos by Timon Abuna.
Such coverage is key for society growth and development..
Thank you Ochunge for the coverage. As a country , this is an eye opener to always have plan B for our peoples’ healthcare. Donor funding is not reliable, we should know now.