KENYA – The Republic of Kenya has launched a community sensitization forum under the leadership of the Ministry of Health aimed at addressing the ‘triple threat’ of HIV, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence facing the young adult population in the country.
The Triple Threat is a national campaign that addresses the challenge of adolescent pregnancy, new HIV infections and sexual and gender-based violence cases among adolescents and young people which contribute to social and economic inequalities and compromise their health.
The in-person event held in Nyeri County was organized by the National Aids Control Council (NACC), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, National Council for Population Development and the County Government of Nyeri.
We want to build on a country movement that will build resilience across communities to reject all forms of violence against our children.
The dialogue on the ‘Triple Threat’ which took place at the Wambugu Farm was attended by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache, Community Health Volunteers and Nyumba Kumi elders amongst other community gatekeepers.
The community sensitization forum was an opportunity to chart the way forward on tackling the increasing rates in teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence and HIV infections amongst adolescents through a campaign entitled ‘Komesha Mimba za Utotoni.’
According to the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that out of the 1.4 million Kenyans living with HIV in Kenya 78,465 are children between the age of zero to 14 years while Kenya has the third highest teen-pregnancy rate in the world with approximately 80 births per 1000 births.
Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe further pointed out that there was a correlation between teenage pregnancies, Gender-Based Violence and the new HIV infections while urging community leaders to set the pace in efforts aimed at addressing the triple challenges by creating sustainable solutions.
“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. We must build a solid community system that will end these challenges at the county and national levels,” he cautioned.
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache expressed concern over the growing challenge of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, noting that 51 per cent of the new HIV infections in the country were among children between the age of 9 and 20 years.
Susan Mochache stressed about the need for sensitization of the youth about the dangers of contracting the HIV virus, adding that the Triple Threat risked compromising the gains already achieved in the fight against HIV as a public health threat.
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