COMBATING THE TRIPLE THREAT; HIV, SEXUAL GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AMD TEENAGE PREGNANCIES
We live in a world that is rapidly changing. The convergence of people embedded in an ever-changing environment has created a new dynamic. This dynamic is characterized by new threats to the health of humans. Our interconnectedness strongly suggests that our future success in improving health will be based on a new integrative, holistic, and collaborative approach.
The rise in number of HIV infections and unintended pregnancies among adolescents aged 10-19 years remains a major public threat in Kenya with 98 new infections occurring every week among young people.
This challenge jolted stakeholders into kick-starting a campaign aimed at eliminating Triple Threat of HIV, Teenage Pregnancies and addressing all forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) by 2030.
Although Kenya has made significant investments to ensure adolescent and young people are educated, enjoy a healthy life and attain their aspirations, new HIV infections, adolescent pregnancies and sexual and gender based violence threaten this progress.
In this regard, the County Government of Nandi and National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) have partnered to spearhead community-led interventions on eliminating the triple threat; Sexual Gender-Based Violence, Pregnancies and HIV among adolescent and young people.
The interventions seeks to build momentum for scaling-up prevention of gender-based violence, reducing early and unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls and HIV prevention programmes for youth.
NSDCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Ruth Laibon Masha paid a courtesy call on H.E Governor Stephen Sang in his office and called for the scaling up of the fight against the triple threat noting that these challenges have persistently “compromised our social fabric and contributed to significant social and economic inequalities.”
Dr. Masha later graced a sensitization meeting for community leaders adopting a multi-agency approach with relevant stakeholders that speaks to the hearts of many mothers, fathers, brothers & sisters under the theme ‘ending the triple threat among adolescents’ at the Aldai Technical Institute in Aldai Sub County.
Dr. Masha lauded the role Nandi Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) play as the best entry point in dealing with incest. “I urge you to amplify incest cases in the community,” she said.
She said adolescent pregnancies remained high in the country, with an average of 25 percent in the last 6 years.
On his part, Governor Stephen Sang underscored the need for a concerted and decisive approach in ending the triple threat of pregnancies, new HIV infections and sexual and gender based violence cases among adolescents and young people.
He said ultimately all the efforts to promote the development of adolescent girls and to reduce early marriages and teenage pregnancies are important in the fight against poverty.
Governor Sang called on parents, religious and traditional leaders to collaborate with public and private sector stakeholders in reducing the spate of teen pregnancies and early marriages in the county.
Deputy Governor Dr Yulita Cheruiyot said the overlapping challenges among the county’s children negate the gains made in the health and education sector depriving young girls of the opportunity to further their education and attain their career goals adding that they are not only disruptive to the individual children but the entire society.
Also present at the event were the County Commissioner Herman Shambi, CEC Member for Health and Sanitation Ruth Koech, Kemeloi/Maraba Ward MCA Hon Truphosa Kuto and County RH Coordinator Irene Berenge.