By Timothy Wekesa.
The latest statistics from the National Syndemic Disease Control Council have revealed that young people aged between 13 and 35 years now account for 75% of new HIV infections.
Speaking during a student sensitization event at Matili Secondary school in Kimilili, Douglas Bosire from who manages statistics at the department said most of the new infections emanate from the high number of sexual gender based violence against teenagers.
“The figures are worrying and something needs to be done urgently to save our children,” he said.
Bosire says Bungoma County recorded a total of 11,713 teenage pregnancies in 2023, accounting for 21%, what he says has slightly improved to 19%, however, insisting that the statistics are still worrying.
“This retards development of their academic progress since most of them are forced to drop out of school for a while or even completely so that they take care of their children,” he added.
The sensitization forum was attended by nominated senator Catherine Mumma who has taken the initiative to educate young people against the triple threat.
“This is an initiative that we have taken as leaders to restore dignity of our endangered future generations, all like minded people should show up for our children both male and female,” she said.
She says it is high time for young girls to start getting Reproductive Health Education so that they remain cognizant of the dangers around early involvement in reproductive activities.
“It is time to take action and give children the right information they need at an early age,” she said.
Bungoma County women representative Catherine Wambilianga used the opportunity to affirm that legislators both at National Assembly and Senate need to formulate adequate laws so that the government can provide sanitary towels to all schools to guarantee the dignity of girls who come from vulnerable families.
“A structured way of issuing pads will be a source of hope for poor families,” she said.
It should be noted that the triple threat encompasses new HIV infections, teenage Pregnancies and Gender Based Violence, what the National Syndemic Disease Control Council has pledged to combat using a multi stakeholder approach.
