Government Concerned Over High Number Of Teenage Pregnancies In Laikipia
Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni
By MKT Reporter
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has decried the high number of teenage pregnancies in Laikipia County.
Speaking in Ngobit ward, Laikipia County on Thursday during an economic empowerment forum for youth and women, the Muthoni said that despite the alarming teenage pregnancy levels among girls aged between 11 and 18 years, only 17 percent attended antenatal clinics which was a concern in the health sector.
“I am worried, given the data from Laikipia indicating the high number of young girls who are getting pregnant and who mostly are aged between 11 to 18 years. It’s even worse because despite the pregnancies they are not attending clinics for check-up,” said Muthoni.
She urged the parents to sensitize their children about the risks of immoral behaviour as a way to address teen pregnancies.
Additionally, Muthoni revealed that even as the government transitions to Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the Linda Mama programme would remain unchanged and instead be enhanced.
“I want to inform you that the Linda Mama programme is still there and it will continue even in the Social Health Insurance and you will be sensitized more by the Community Health Volunteers(CHVs),” said Muthoni.
She noted that the revamped health insurance would cushion pregnant women from incurring huge hospital bills as had been the case with the NHIF.
“On the Social Health Insurance, you will only be paying Sh300 and not Sh500. On normal deliveries the government will be paying Sh11, 000 and not Sh4, 000 from the previous scheme and for complicated deliveries it would be Sh32, 000,” she informed Ngobit residents and at the same time assured them SHIF would be seamless and efficient.
She noted that NHIF was marred by a lot of challenges including the backlog of unsettled hospital bills and hence the need for the government to revamp it for efficient service delivery.
Further, the PS said that the government was keen on promoting maternal health for both women and children under the Linda Mama initiative.
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