“Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2014” shows one in five girls aged 15-19 were either pregnant or had children. The WHO says complications relating to pregnancy and childbirth are already the leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19. Pregnant girls and young mothers face even greater risks during crises such as the ongoing pandemic. And of pregnant teenagers who survive childbirth, 98 per cent drop out of school. In 2014, the UNFPA reports revealed that a staggering14,000 teenage girls became pregnant during the Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone.

Source: Daily Nation August 23, 2020 20:53 UTC