Reproductive health organisations have partnered with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to curb HIV/AIDS prevalence among youth.
The Network for Adolescents and Youth in Africa, Women Fighting HIV and Aids in Kenya and Ambassadors for Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Programme launched the Youth Care programme on Monday.
The programme will help young people access reproductive health services that suit their needs.
It will focus on training young people to be peer educators on reproductive health and Community Health Volunteers, delivering crucial youth-friendly services.
AYARHEP executive director Cherop Limo said Youth Care will boost services at the county level.
“The four-year project seeks to empower young people to own their health and seek services at public health facilities.
“It is going to strengthen our health system to provide services that suit the needs of young people,” she said.
Nine health facilities will be selected to be the advocacy points of the programme.
Limo said they will be chosen according to the number of youth who access the facility as well as areas where the prevalence of teen pregnancies and HIV infection is high.
Deputy director of Promotive and Preventive Health Services in Nairobi Carol Ngunu said NMS will help with improved access to the health facilities.
“We already have 18 facilities with youth-friendly desks and we hope this programme will help empower youth to speak up on the kind of services they require,” she said.
Ngunu assured the youth groups of continued support in their advocacy work even after a new government comes in.
“HIV continues to be of great importance in the city particularly around young women and adolescent girls. We hope Youth Care will help create more awareness on prevention,” she said.
According to NAYA, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among young women, while 80 per cent of new adolescent HIV infections are among girls aged 10 to 19.
WOFAK official Jackie Okinyi said the programme will help reach young people living with HIV/AIDS in the community with advocacy messages, especially on mental health issues.
“We hope young people’s capacity for reproductive health and mental health will be built. Mental health is vital to young people to help them adhere to HIV medication and keep a positive outlook on life,” she said.
Okinyi said young people are more likely to take up reproductive health services if they are delivered in a youth-friendly manner, by youth.
The programme will also reach Homa Bay county, which has a high prevalence of teen pregnancies and HIV infection and low uptake of reproductive health services.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
