Kenya marks World AIDS Day in Meru

Alarming data from health facilities on rising teenage pregnancies in Meru County informed the choice of venue for this year's World AIDS Day celebrations.

This year's event, themed "Let Communities Lead", will be held at Kinoru Stadium in Meru to highlight the county, which has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the country.

A survey conducted by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) shows that of the 15,389 women who sought antenatal care at various health facilities in Meru between January and May this year, 3,998 were teenage girls.

The shocking data, which represents 26 per cent - the highest rate in the country - also revealed that some of the girls were as young as 10 years old, with the majority being secondary school students.

This means that three out of ten expectant mothers in Meru are teenage girls whose education has been disrupted by the greater challenge of exposure to the killer HIV virus.

Dr Ruth Laibon-Masha, the NSDCC Chief Executive Officer, says teenage pregnancies in Meru have been on the rise for the past seven years, and if left unchecked, the trend will reverse the gains made in suppressing new HIV infections.

"We have chosen Meru to host this year's World Aids Day in response to a cry for help from the region. We need all local leaders and stakeholders to recognise the worrying trend that is directly hampering efforts to eliminate new HIV infections," said Dr Laibon-Masha.

The CEO said the overlapping challenge of new HIV infections, adolescent pregnancies and sexual and gender-based violence among young people, known as the 'triple threat', was hampering progress in the fight against the disease.

Dr Laibon Masha told a gathering of community leaders yesterday that it was unacceptable for society to watch young girls become child mothers and denied education due to parental neglect and poor cultural practices.

"Moreover, these challenges represent a complex web of vulnerabilities and have profound implications for health, population and development, including education, economic opportunities and the overall well-being of adolescent girls," she said.

Within Meru County, the NSDCC survey identified Igembe North as the worst affected with Mutuati Sub County Hospital overwhelmed by teenage pregnancy cases.

The Aids Council in collaboration with the National Council on Population and Development (NCPD), Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Administration and other government ministries, county governments, partners and stakeholders have launched a national dialogue on ending the triple threat.

Dr Laibon-Masha emphasised the need for sustained multi-sectoral collaboration, effective coordination and resources to address underlying inequalities, including policy gaps, social, economic, legal and cultural factors to achieve the desired outcomes.

Much more than a celebration of what has been achieved over the decades, this year's theme is a call to action to empower and support communities to take the lead in achieving the goal of ending HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The day will be observed around the world as communities come together to show support for people living with and affected by HIV, and to remember those who have lost their lives to the virus.