Homa Bay Governor Ms. Gladys Wanga has pledged to lead the fight against triple threat among adolescents and the young people in the region. Homa Bay is known for having high prevalence rates in HIV infections, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and early pregnancies and Wanga said as a County, they are doing everything within their reach to end the vice. ‘We have decided as a County that we are tired of being known for the bad things and so we are putting our best foot forward to work together with our partners to end this triple threat,’ she noted. The fight against SGBV was augmented in Homa Bay after the recent launch of a policy that was geared towards combating the vice through a legal framework. The County SGBV policy provides a legal framework to comprehensively protect, prevent, promote and co-ordinate the numerous phases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. The Governor said that for the policy to be effectively implemented, there must be a partnership between the government, the local community, the provincial administration, and the security sector to ensure SGBV is dealt with. She said that punitive action must be taken against the perpetrators adding, ‘For us to end the triple threat, we cannot do things the same way this time and expect different results. To deal with this, we must become firm by becoming a bit insane.’ According to a 2020 report, one-third (33 percent) of adolescent girls between the ages of 15 to 19 in Homa Bay are mothers or are pregnant with their first child. The same report also indicated that youth aged between 15 to 24 contribute 13 percent of the total number of HIV infections amongst 15- to 49-year-olds in the County. Wanga said that a whole generation will be wasted if the trend continues, adding as a government they will provide policy framework, leadership and resources to ensure this menace is curbed. The County Boss pointed out that adolescent girls should be shielded from early pregnancies through the provision of menstrual and sanitary hygiene materials which she said are the key reasons behind early pregnancies. ‘Our girls should be provided with sanitary towels and any other support they need in order to protect them from unintended pregnancies and HIV,’ she noted. On the same note, she encouraged the residents to go for HIV testing and know their status for them to take precaution while engaging in sexual activities with their partners while at the same time challenged couples to remain faithful to each other.

Source: Kenya News Agency