This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 24, 2020, the Acting Director-General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth, clarified the number of pregnant teenagers in Machakos County, contradicting a previous report of 4,000 school-going children.
According to Dr. Amoth, official data shows that only a quarter of the reported number can be confirmed to be expectant, which translates to approximately 1,000 teenagers.
Dr. Amoth explained that the initial figure of 4,000 was based on the number of antenatal visits recorded, not the exact number of expectant minors who visited health facilities for antenatal care.
He further clarified that estimating the number of expectant persons is done by dividing the total number of antenatal visits by three, which in this case resulted in an inflated figure.
Earlier, Machakos Children's Officer, Salome Muthama, reported that at least 3,964 girls in the county, aged 19 years and below, had become pregnant between January and May 2020, with Athi River being the most affected area.
