Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma has urged the national government to be more vigilant in addressing adolescent health which has been jeopardised by teenage pregnancies and a surge in transmission of HIV and AIDS.
According to a recent report by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council, a total of 88,853 adolescents in Kenya are living with HIV.
Kenya has over 11.5 million adolescents, out of which, 50 per cent engage in sexual activity before they attain the age of 18.
While speaking during the senate proceedings, the senator revealed that between 2016 and 2022, Kenya saw at least 2.3 million adolescents attending antenatal clinics, with 143,502 of them aged just 10 to 14 years old.
“The emerging data demonstrates that our nation is silently witnessing the decline of its youth due to our inaction on adolescent health issues. Addressing this crisis is pivotal not only to alleviate the MTCT challenge, but also to safeguard our nation’s future,” she said.
She attributed the increase in HIV cases among the younger population to the lack of concrete actions taken toward adolescent health as well as the private health facilities in rural areas providing pills to girls.
“They go to chemists to procure emergency pills like P2 and to some extent procure abortion services from unqualified individuals. This way we end up losing many adolescents,
“A 14-year-old cannot walk into a health facility and be offered services; they must be accompanied by an adult. However, if this child gets pregnant, the health facility is ready to see them without a parent,” she said.
At the same time, Mumma urged for a collective re-evaluation of societal values, including key stakeholders in the political, executive, county, community and religious realms to combat the crisis.
She said while policies on adolescent health exist on paper within Kenya’s health sector, their implementation has been hindered by fear of opposition, particularly from religious entities.
By Vostine Ratemo
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