Opportunities for Reproductive Health Programs in the Implementation of Schools Re-Entry Policy on Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections: Case of Selected Urban Schools in Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47604/jhmn.2893Keywords:
Challenges, Opportunities, Teenage, Pregnancies, School, HealthAbstract
Purpose: This study was designed to determine the opportunities available for the ministry of health as the custodian of reproductive health programs on mitigating teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in Kenya.
Methodology: This was an analytical cross-sectional study that triangulated various sampling techniques. Based on unmitigated increase number of school pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, the study obtained information on opportunities available to introduce and implement reproductive health program from the specialists in the ministries of health and education using Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant interviews and questionnaires techniques. A total of 16 respondents was realized using the standard saturation point method. Multistage followed by cluster sampling techniques were used to identify selected urban towns. A sample size of 174 school-female teenage participants female were tested for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in the eight urban areas. Analysis of data was done by use of descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and content analysis.
Findings: The study found out that the ministry of health through the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and its strategic plans had not taken up the opportunity to perform its role of supporting re-entry policy and reproductive health education in schools. Although the Ministry of health, through its established organs had a role to play in mitigating Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted infections, it had not put structures in place for its implementation in schools.
Unique contribution to Theory, practice and Policy: The ministry of health needs to support school-entry policy as part of its mandate. Successful programs and policies require the involvement of all stakeholders in designing, developing and implementing and must be inclusive and well resource supported. The findings of this study need to be appraised by the policy makers and implementers for fresh and improved interventions.
Downloads
References
Kenya Bureau of Statistics (2022). Kenya demographic & health survey. Nairobi. Kenya Government Press.
Kenya Law Review commission (2001). The children Act (2001 & 2022). Kenya Nairobi. Government Press.
Kenya Law Review Commission (2013). The Basic Education Act (2013), Compulsory primary education.Nairobi. Kenya Government Press.
Kenya Government, (2010). Vision 2030. Ministry of devolution. Nairobi. Kenya Government Press
Ministry of Education Science and Technology, MOEST (2022). School health policy (SHP). Nairobi. Kenya Government Press.
Ministry of Education Kenya (2020). National Guidelines for School Re-entry in Early Learning and Basic Education. Nairobi. Ministry of Education, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, (2016). Adolescent sexual and reproductive health development (ASRHD). Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, (2016). National reproductive health strategy 2016 – 2020. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, (2014). National guidelines on management of sexually Transmitted Infections, 3rd edition. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, (2022). National adolescent sexual and reproductive health policy. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, (2016). National guidelines for maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, (2016). Reproductive health communication strategy 2016 2021. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, Kenya (2016). National guidelines for provision of Youth Friendly Services in Kenya. Nairobi. Ministry of Health & Ministry of Gender Affairs.
Ministry of Health, Kenya (2016). National Guidelines for reproductive tract infections. Kenya Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Health, Kenya (2022). National Adolescent sexual and reproductive health policy. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Public Health & Ministry of Education, (2022, 2018 & 2009). National school health policy. Nairobi. Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Public Health & Ministry of Education, (2022, 2018 &2009). National school health guidelines. Nairobi. Ministry of Education & Ministry of Health, Kenya.
Ministry of Youth Affairs, MOYAS (2022). Youth dialogue tool. Nairobi. Ministry of Gender & Youth Affairs.
Rosenstock, I. (1974). Health belief model. Health education monographs. Sage Journals, 2 (4), 328 -335, 1974
United Nations General Assembly, (2016). Conventions on the rights of the child (CRC/UCRC). New York. United Nations.
United Nations General Assembly, (2015). Sustainable Millennium Development Goals of 2015 2030. New York. United Nations.
World Health Organization (2019). Global Prevalence of selected curable STI’s: Overview and estimates. Geneva. WHO Press.
WHO, (2021). Prevalence and incidence of sexually transmitted infections, UNAIDS/WHO working group on global HIV/AIDS and Sexually Trans mitted Infections Surveillance. Geneva. WHO Press.
World Health Organization, (1978). Primary health care: Almata Declaration. Geneva. WHO Press.
World Health Organization, (2019). Sexually transmitted infections in adolescents. Geneva. WHO Press.
World Health Organization, (2020). Sexually transmitted infections among adolescents: The need for adequate health services. Geneva. WHO Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Kishasha Meshack Kijungu, Samuel Mwangi Thumbi PhD, Alloys S. S. Orago PhD, Miriam C. A. Wagoro PhD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
