World Population Day 2022: Towards a resilient future for all

Article by Jerry Masha

The World Population Day offers a moment to celebrate human progress. Despite its challenges, our world is one where higher shares of people are educated and live healthier lives than at any previous point in history. Societies that invest in their people, in their rights and choices, have proven time and again that this is the road to the prosperity and peace that everyone wants—and deserves. Focusing only on population numbers and growth rates often leads to coercive and counterproductive measures and the erosion of human rights

On July 11, 2022, The National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) in collaboration with the County Government of Kajiado, FIDA-Kenya, and other stakeholders held an event in Kajiado County to commemorate the 2022 World Population Day by offering legal aid and psychosocial support. The celebration of a world of #8BillionStrong had a national call to end the #TripleThreat of GBV, new HIV infections and pregnancy among adolescents.

Among Kenya’s ICPD+25 commitments is to eliminate new adolescent and youth HIV infections and harmful practices, to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence by 2030, and to eliminate teenage pregnancies which have contributed to school dropouts and put a risk to the future of the adolescent girls. As we move towards #8BillionStrong more is to be done in ending the triple threat in adolescents. A multifaceted approach and increasing investments in people are key in the prevention of HIV, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence (GBV).

‘Motherhood in childhood is something that we need to address in our society. We must eliminate this problem if we are to harness the demographic Dividend,’ Eric Wafukho. CAS Treasury

#EndTripleThreat