Inside new plan to tame 'triple threat' among adolescents

On December 1, 2023, Nation.Africa published a story titled The hidden ‘Triple Threat’ gripping Bungoma County.

The story highlighted the plight of girls who had become victims of the alarming wave of the triple threat across the county.

State and non-state actors expressed concern about the the triple threat – teenage pregnancy, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and HIV/Aids – among adolescent girls.

Also read: New facility in Turkana village to boost war on Triple Threat

The situation, they agreed, threatened to get out of hand if proper interventions were not initiated to protect schoolgirls, and their education and career dreams.

Now the government has moved in to arrest the situation. It has unveiled a comprehensive commitment plan aimed at eradicating the triple threat by 2027.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha launched the initiative in Bungoma during the Western Kenya Women Summit.

Also read: Nyeri records a drop in HIV infections, holds awareness programme against triple threat

The CS said the government will leverage policy and legislative tools to end HIV infection, adolescent pregnancies, and SGBV.

“The journey to eliminating the triple public health crisis of HIV/Aids, teenage pregnancies, and sexual and gender-based violence has started. This is in line with our commitment to national and international conventions.”

Ms Nakhumicha said the government will harness technology, grassroots campaigns, and access to modern contraceptives to win the war.

She revealed that investments in youth-friendly reproductive health services at the grassroots will be key to minimising the risk of adolescent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Joint efforts

Community health volunteers, cultural and religious leaders, and law enforcement officers will be engaged in the campaign, she added.

“Digital tools will help us track and identify perpetrators of gender-based violence. Our criminal justice system should fast-track prosecution of offenders, who include intimate partners, to act as a deterrent measure.”

The campaign, dubbed the Whole Government and Whole Society Approach and spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, will entail using technology to track SGBV perpetrators without their knowledge.

Also read: Defiled, pregnant and HIV positive, the triple threat to Kenya’s teen girls

The technical personnel and administrative officers handling such cases will also be equipped with the necessary skills to ensure justice for victims.

The initiative will be collaboration of state and non-state actors for maximum impact.

Dr Ruth Laibon Masha of the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) is optimistic that the new campaign will bear fruit.

She underscores the urgency of addressing the 'triple threat,' noting its detrimental impact on efforts to end HIV spread.

Also read: Campaign targets three threats facing Kenyan teenagers

NSDCC identifies SGBV and teenage pregnancy as indicators of heightened HIV infection risks.

“When we look at teenage pregnancies, sometimes it looks like a surprise. In 2018, 275,000 girls were pregnant. I think this was the first time we could have identified this as a problem.

“Last year, 254,000 visited antenatal clinics, but what is interesting is that they were children aged 10 to 14 years,” she says.

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has commended the government for coming up with the initiative, saying the situation calls for urgent action.

Also read: Cry our beloved children: They are girls, not mothers

“When you look at the gender-based violence and HIV infection nationally, you realise that Bungoma is above the national average. This is something that we should sit down and find a solution to,” Lusaka said.

Deputy Governor Janepher Mbatiany, who has been a leading gender activist in the area, has called on women leaders to raise resources to support girls from poor families with sanitary towels.

“We are not doing well at all and have become the talk of the region. Bungoma has in the recent past featured bad news, with many cases of GBV and teenage pregnancies being raised,” she says.

Also read: Drive to tackle pregnancy, SGBV, HIV threats to teens

Vihiga woman representative Beatrice Adagala, for her part, is proposing a harsh penalty against SGBV perpetrators.

“We want to laws that allow the chopping off of sexual organs of men who have sex with children,” she said.

Kimilili MP Didimus Barasa is vowing to lead a campaign in the western region to sensitise men to stop engaging in sex with adolescents.

Also read: Urgently tackle increasing SGBV among children

Kenya's commitments under ICPD25 include enhancing the health standards of adolescents and youth by comprehensively addressing the triple threat. It aims to pave the way for a healthier, safer, and more empowered society.

Data from the latest HIV estimates reveals that in 2023, about 254,753 adolescent pregnancies were reported, out of which 13,239 were of children aged 10–14.

In the same year, 23,456 adolescents aged 10–17 were violated, and 3,403 were those aged nine and below. About 67,869 children aged 0–14 are living with HIV.

Also read: Men urged to step up war on SGBV

Bungoma has been in the limelight over high SGBV teenage pregnancy prevalence. According to the latest statistics shared by the county, 106,982 girls aged 10–19 were pregnant between January 2016 and August last year.

Its teenage pregnancy prevalence stands at 19 per cent exceeding the 15 per cent national prevalence.

The county’s SGBV prevalence stands at 23 per cent, nearly double the national prevalence of 13 per cent.

From January 2016 to July 2023, the county recorded 9,089 SGBV cases among girls aged 10–17, compared to 18,510 cases reported countrywide among the same age group during the same period.

From January to August last year, 299 teenage pregnancies were recorded among girls aged 10–14, with 8,375 aged 15–19 getting pregnant over the same period.

Also read: Courts of hope: 2023, when Kenya opened special SGBV courts

Kanduyi led with 1,218 cases, followed by Webuye West at 1,091, Tongaren (1,029), Bumula (987), Kabuchai (871), Kimilili (835), and Sirisia (784). The others were Chaptais (657), Webuye East (610) and Mt Elgon (574). In 2022, the county recorded 12,217 teenage pregnancies.

The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey shows Bungoma leading in the number of women who have experienced physical and sexual violence.

The survey says 62 per cent of women and girls who have experienced physical violence are from Bungoma. The county also recorded the highest number of women who have experienced sexual violence at 30 per cent.

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