Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary, has called for continued efforts to address the challenge of teenage pregnancy.
Speaking at a forum to raise awareness of the triple threat that HIV infection, pregnancies, and gender-based violence pose to adolescents, the health CS noted that while the nation has made significant progress, those achievements have been overshadowed by the three problems.
“Sadly, child motherhood has serious health consequences for girls. Some die while giving birth because their bodies are still too fragile to carry a pregnancy to term and deliver safely. Others experience long lasting psychological and physical problems.” Observed Kagwe.
The difficulties shared by Kenya’s children, he claimed, undermine the progress made in the health and education fields and damage not just the lives of the particular children but also the fabric of society as a whole.
“The issue of child mothers is drawing us back. For example, in 2018 we attended to 427,135 children aged 10-19 with pregnancies in our health facilities. Despite the progress in reducing these occurrences, in 2021, we still recorded 316,187 of this age group attending antenatal clinics.” Noted the health CS.
Even as he urged local authorities to spearhead initiatives to solve the triple challenges by coming up with long-term solutions.
“We must rescue the affected girls and ensure they are taken back to school while building a solid community system that will end these challenges at the County and national levels. The era of looking the other way and letting perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence walk scot-free must end. Let us have constructive community dialogues that provide solutions.” Urged Kagwe.
The incidence of adolescent pregnancies, according to Health PS Susan Mochache, undermines the progress made in eliminating HIV/AIDS as a public health hazard. She also said that they deny young females the chance to complete their education and achieve their professional ambitions.
“We want to build on a country movement that will build resilience across communities to reject all forms of violence against our children. A country where we can see the end of an epidemic that has been with us for close to three decades. This is only possible if we are systematic, deliberate and consistent with our efforts.” The PS told the forum.
The Triple Threat is a national campaign that aims to combat the problems of teen pregnancy, new HIV infections, and incidents of sexual and gender-based violence among teenagers and young adults, all of which exacerbate social and economic inequality and endanger their health.