Evaluation of interventions Into adolescent fertility in Nairobi

Abstract

Adolescent fertility in Kenya is increasingly gaining more attention, partly because of its socio-econornic and psychological consequences - interms of losses acrued to parents, society, the government and most important of all, the Teenage mother herself as well as her child (Mang'oka, 1987). More importantly, is the contribution of Adolescent fertility to the fast growing population growth rate of Kenya. According to the Demographic and Health Survey and population reference Bureau, Washington D.C. (1992) it is currently responsible . for 16 per cent of the total births in Kenya. This paper examines some of the interventions programmes established specifically to address the problem of Adolescent fertility. Gachuhi (1973) has documented that 10 per cent of the school girl drop-out rate is due to pregnancy. However there has been some decline ·in pregnancy rates over the past ; , (Ferguson, 1988).)n 1987,8.61 girls per thousand dropped out of school as compared ! to the 12.13 percent of 1986 and 10.24 in 1985. . . This decline could be due to a lot of different reasons. This paper is concerned with looking into the differnt interventions directed specifically at impacting knowledge to the Adolescerns as well as creating a behavioural change in them. The aim is to monitor these activities and assessing their impact, effectiveness and success as far as reduction in the incidence of Teenage school pregnancies in Nairobi is concerned.