Kakamega County government has launched a campaign to combat rising cases of teenage pregnancies, HIV infections and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). [Courtesy]
The Kakamega County government has launched a campaign dubbed the Triple Threat Campaign to combat rising cases of teenage pregnancies, HIV infections and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Launched in Shinyalu Sub-County, it seeks to reduce the three major health and social challenges affecting young people through awareness, access to quality health services, education and community partnerships.
The initiative has brought together learners, health professionals, education stakeholders, county leaders, faith-based organisations and development partners in a coordinated effort to equip adolescents aged between 10 and 24 years with the knowledge and support needed to make informed life choices.
"This is not a one-day event but the beginning of a sustained campaign to empower our adolescents with knowledge and improve access to quality healthcare services. Young people are our future and our greatest strength, and we have a collective responsibility to protect them," said Kakamega County Executive Committee Member for Health Services Dr Livingstone Imbayi, who represented First Lady Prof. Janet Kassily Barasa, the patron of the campaign.
Dr Imbayi said the county continues to grapple with alarming adolescent reproductive health indicators, revealing that 22 per cent of all mothers who attended antenatal clinics in Kakamega last year were adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years.
He added that the county also recorded 1,900 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, the majority of whom were adolescents and young people.
"These statistics remind us that we must continue prioritising prevention through partnerships, gender mainstreaming, community awareness and capacity building alongside our partners and civil society organisations," he said.