MOH National Guidelines for Provision of Adolescent Youth-Friendly Service in Kenya 2005

Young people, persons aged 10-24 years, constitute 36 percent of our total population. Today’s young people have diverse experiences given the different political, economic, social and cultural realities

they face in their communities. Young people today face many reproductive health challenges, which include sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion, school dropout, harmful practices like early marriages, female genital cutting, sexual violence, and drug and substance abuse among others.

The recently published Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) report indicates that half of all new HIV infections occur among young people aged 15-24 years. Worse still, girls are twice as likely to be infected as boys the same age. The survey also revealed that by age 19, almost half of adolescents have begun childbearing and among all pregnant women, 23 percent are adolescents. In addition, teenagers from poor households are more likely to have begun childbearing and, more than half of the adolescent deliver at home. The recently launched Kenya Service Provision Assessment (KSPA) 2004 indicate that only 12 percent of our facilities are able to provide youth friendly services.

The ICPD 1994 plan of action urged governments to make reproductive health services available, accessible, acceptable and affordable to young people. These guidelines outlines the minimum essential service package which should be available to the young people and describes how the services should be made available and accessible to them. These guidelines are in line with the recently developed adolescent reproductive health and development plan of action, which identifies different strategies of how the ARH&D policy, whose aim is to improve the well-being and quality of life of Kenya’s young people, will be implemented.

The national guidelines for youth friendly service provision identifies three different models through which reproductive health services can be made accessible and available to the adolescents.

Addressing reproductive health needs of adolescents requires a multi-sector approach. These guidelines outline the role of the health sector in addressing reproductive health concerns of young people.

The Ministry of Health will ensure the provision of adolescent friendly reproductive health, information, and services at all levels of health care. We hope that all stakeholders involved in adolescent reproductive health will be committed to implementing adolescent reproductive health programs in accordance with this guide.

Dr James W. Nyikal, MBS

DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL SERVICES