More than 240,000 teenage girls between the ages of 10 and 19 were impregnated last year in the country, a new survey has shown.

The report by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) shows that the perpetrators are people close to the girls, with fathers even being responsible in some of the cases. NSDCC Chief Executive Officer Douglas Bosire said this was contributing to new HIV infections.

According to the council, 1.4 million Kenyans live with HIV, with 65 per cent of these being women.

“Ironically, it is the men who die more because of their poor health behaviour and succumb to opportunistic infections, including Tuberculosis, compared to their female counterparts,” said Bosire, adding that men also account for 89 per cent of drugs injected in Kenya.

Out of 6.8 million people who tested for HIV last year, five million were women, while 1.8 million were men.

“Men continue to be the major impediment in the fight against HIV as they don’t go for testing but use their wives and partners as specimens. They feel that when their partners test negative, they are also negative,” said Bosire.

According to the survey, Syndemic conditions associated with HIV, such as tuberculosis, were 90,000, 69 per cent of which were men aged between 25 and 45.

“It’s time men talk to each other and agree. We have solutions within the community. That’s how our traditional African culture taught us. When we have an issue in the community, the men sit together and come up with solutions,” said Bosire.

Bosire spoke yesterday during a national men and boys summit held at Tambach Teachers Training College (TTC) in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

The forum brought together representatives from Baringo, Nakuru, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Nandi, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot counties.

“We realised that we’re leaving men behind as we’ve concentrated more on women and girl-child for a long time, but we are realising that men are lagging behind because few men are coming for treatment and testing,” said Bosire.

In Central and North Rift regions alone, which bring together eight counties, 40,000 girls of the same age were impregnated during the same period, according to the council.

Elgeyo Marakwet County Governor Wisley Rotich, on his part, raised concern over the upsurge of teenage pregnancies in the region, especially among girls in day schools.

“The situation has been aggravated by parents and village elders who reach out of court agreement with the perpetrators, violating the rights of the child,” said Rotich.