NAIROBI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Wednesday launched a nationwide campaign against teenage pregnancies.
Torome Saitoti, principal secretary in the State Department of Planning, told journalists in Nairobi that the country is facing a social crisis as 18 percent of girls between 15 and 19 have either had a live birth or have been pregnant with their first child.
"The campaign will seek to galvanize communities on the need to end teenage pregnancies given its negative socio-economic effects," Saitoti said.
According to government data, teenage pregnancy rates are as high as 40 percent in some counties.
Teenage pregnancies lead to many girls' dropping out of school, limiting their opportunities for future employment, Saitoti said.
He said the government is keen to make necessary investments to ensure transition from primary to secondary school as well as to fully support school re-entry of girls who drop out due to early pregnancies. Enditem
