Nairobi, 25th May, 2022- A Joint United Nations team in Kenya comprising of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, SDG Partnership Platform, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, has partnered with Triggerise to introduce an innovative financing vehicle aimed at transforming adolescent health outcomes in Kenya by tackling the challenges of teen pregnancy and HIV infections among adolescent girls.
Backed by a $7million investment from the UN Joint SDG Fund, the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Development Impact Bond (DIB), will tap into resources from both private and public investors to finance the provision of quality adolescent and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV testing and treatment, to adolescent girls aged between 15-19 years in low-income settings.
The project will be rolled out in partnership with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Triggerise, KOIS as well as the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Health, Council of Governors, and participating county governments of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Migori, Homabay, Kisii, Nyamira, Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega.
“This project will foster collaboration among stakeholders across the spectrum including the government, donor agencies, and the private sector and unlock additional external resources and financing that are critical to not only improving adolescent health outcomes but also the attainment of the sustainable development goals”, remarked the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Dr Stephen Jackson.
Teenage pregnancy and HIV are major drivers of adolescent mortality and morbidity and result in a lifetime of missed education and employment. In Kenya, 42% of new adult HIV infections occur among young people between the ages of 15 - 24. Moreover, one in five adolescent girls is either pregnant or already has a child, with an estimated 330,000 girls becoming pregnant each year.
