As adolescents enjoy their April school holidays, health stakeholders across Africa are raising alarms over rising rates of teenage pregnancies, new HIV infections and school dropouts, all linked to early unprotected sexual activity.
In Kenya, recent data paints a worrying trend, with at least six adolescents aged 10 to 19 acquiring HIV every day, with 691 pregnancies reported.
Experts emphasise that these cases are largely preventable, urging urgent interventions to promote sexual responsibility and delay sexual debut among adolescents.
In response to the escalating crisis, the Step-Up Campaign, a regional advocacy initiative supported by the HIVOS Foundation, is advocating for reforms across the five countries most affected-Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia.
