Samburu Records 832 Teenage Pregnancies In Three MonthsA health survey found that between January and March of this year, at least ten underage girls became pregnant in Samburu County.According to county health department statistics, 832 teenagers became pregnant this year between January and March, and health officials fear that the number will skyrocket by the end of the year if nothing is done.Nasieku Letipila, director of Youth, Gender, and Social Services, stated that for partners to succeed in the fight against teen pregnancies in the region, a collaborative approach and commitment are required.Ms Nasieku stated that socioeconomic hardships and regressive cultural practices such as FGM and forced marriages were major contributors to the rise in teen pregnancy.Adolescent pregnancy is not usually the result of a conscious decision in Samburu, but most girls often have little say in life decisions due to regressive cultural practices. Most girls in the region are exposed to a variety of risks, including domestic violence, in addition to a lack of basic necessities.Ms Nasieku said situations such as socioeconomic hardships and retrogressive cultural practices such as FGM and forced marriages were the major contributing factors in the rise of teenage pregnancies.She said cultural expectations in Samburu on abstinence also resulted in a surge in pregnancies since January.“Many girls continue to experience related complications, including mortality due to birth-related complications and unsafe abortions."FGM cases continue to rise in the county, and once a girl has undergone the procedure, she is married off. Ms Nasieku stated that they have included all stakeholders to help ensure that the numbers decrease.ALSO READ:As cases of gender-based violence (GBV) rise across the county, Samburu hopes to launch a mobile humanitarian response. For GBV response, officials want to transition from urban-based service delivery to an innovative mobile service model.Although psychosocial support and case management have been shown to save the lives of people at risk of physical, sexual, and psychological GBV, these services are frequently unavailable in rural areas of the country.Many barriers, according to Ms Nasieku, prevent survivors from receiving immediate assistance. She cited a lack of information about where to report, fear of re-traumatization at police gender desks, and societal shaming as examples."Many do not report them due to a range of factors, among them lack of knowledge and fear of stigmatisation. That is why we are going to start a mobile humanitarian response to GBV victims in rural villages,” she said.She went on to say that efforts are being made across the country to educate the public about gender-based violence in order to reduce cases and create effective community-based responses.Samburu Records 832 Teenage Pregnancies In Three Months
