County representatives during the symposium.[Photo/David Karanja]
The second Adolescent Health Symposium was held in Nairobi on Friday.
The symposium was meant to address the myriad issues affecting adolescent health.
Health stakeholders and adolescents from 47 counties attended the joint symposium dubbed as “Fast Tracking Adolescent Health for the demographic dividend.”
The symposium was opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Cleopa Mailu who was represented by the Head of NASCOP, Dr. Kigen Bartilo.
The CS acknowledged that many adolescents face considerable challenges including health risks as a result of social contexts which exert powerful influence over them.
"Adolescents face peer pressure to use alcohol, cigarettes, and recreational drugs, to have poor eating habits and to initiate sexual relationships at earlier ages. This puts them at high risk of adverse immediate and chronic health consequences,” said Dr. Bartilo.
The two- day symposium will discuss and make recommendation on very critical thematic areas which include Leadership and governance for Adolescent Health, Adolescent Health and Education, Adolescent Health and Economics, Adolescent Health Service Delivery and crosscutting issues in Adolescent Health.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya has approximately 9.1 million adolescents aged between 10-19 years which constitutes about 24% of Kenya’s total population.