This archive report was first published on 2 September 2021.
September 2, 2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of Kenya's adolescents, with a recent study showing that half of the population is now experiencing depression.
The research, conducted by the Presidential Policy and Strategy Unit (PASU) in collaboration with Population Service Kenya (PS), found that the effects of the pandemic, which led to a partial lockdown in the country since March 2020, have taken a devastating toll on the lives of adolescents.
Many families have struggled to make ends meet, with 75% of adolescents reporting that they had to skip meals due to financial constraints. The report, supported by Amref Health Africa, also highlighted the alarming rate of teenage pregnancies, with four percent of adolescents aged between 15-19 years old being pregnant or having recently given birth.
When schools reopened in January 2021, 16% of girls and 8% of boys did not return to school, translating to approximately 250,000 girls and 125,000 boys. This is a stark reminder of the challenges that many adolescents face in accessing education.
According to the report, the pandemic has also led to a significant increase in school dropouts, with 652 schoolgirls in secondary school being impregnated and having to sit for their exams while pregnant or after giving birth, an increase of three times from 2019.
