While the entire world struggles to flatten the curve, one East Africa country, Kenya is stunned by the massive teenage pregnancies. For the last three months of lockdown, more than 150,000 Kenyan teenage girls are now pregnant. This is “a 40 percent increase in the monthly average”, VOA reported.
Kenyan officials said there has been a high rise in teenage pregnancies since the lockdown was issued by the government in March this year. According to the Data released by the ministry of health, a single county recorded nearly 4,000 pregnant teenage girls since March.
The government early in March closed schools countrywide to combat the virus. There has been many speculations as to why this surge in pregnancies. However, authorities worry relatives or closed families’ members could be responsible for this massive surge in teenage pregnancies.
According to Tabitha Mukoya who lives in a deep village of Machakos County, Kenya, told VOA that her teenage daughter was pregnant after she noticed her wearing a sweater for days.
Her daughter is among the said more than 150,000 girls expecting babies this year. The authorities are still in shocked. There could be more pregnancies cases if the lockdown continues.
This new record makes Kenya one of the highest nations in the world with teenage pregnancies.