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How Pageants are turning runway into HIV advocacy

The Beauty of Africa international pageantry Kenya main event will happen on December 12, 2025, at KICC. [Courtesy, Baip-Kenya]

World Aids Day often arrives with solemn speeches and predictable statistics, but this year a Kenyan pageant injected unexpected urgency and glamour into the conversation.

At the Beauty of Africa International Pageant (BAIP), held on 1 December, the catwalk became a platform for public health advocacy as young contestants used fashion, storytelling and performance to challenge stigma around HIV/AIDS.

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