Adolescents and youth comprise 24% of Kenya’s population. This youthful population affects the country's social, economic and political agenda. A young population provides opportunities for the country’s development if the right investments are made towards attaining educational and health goals, including all-around preparation for responsible adulthood. At the same time, a youthful population puts great demands on the provision of health services, education, water and sanitation, housing and employment.
The Government of Kenya recognizes that the provision of comprehensive and high-quality reproductive health services to adolescents and youth requires a multi-sectoral integrated approach from all sectors of government, development partners and other stakeholders for the country to attain the Vision 2030, African Youth Charter (2006) and Post-2015 Development Agenda through Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The first edition of the National Guidelines for the provision of Youth friendly services in Kenya was developed in 2005. The review of these national guidelines was necessitated by significant changes that have been observed in the provision of adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health at the national and international levels.
The Guideline was reviewed to align with the emerging SRHR realities, including the National Adolescent, Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) Policy (2015), The World Health Organisation’s Global Standards for Quality Health Care Services for Adolescents, the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Constitution of Kenya (2010) with its attendant devolved governance structure.
The transformational changes in the Kenyan Health System with the devolved governance structure provide a unique window of opportunity to address long-standing inequalities and inefficiencies in providing adolescent and youth-friendly services in the health sector.
The aforementioned guidelines provide useful guidance for counties to set priorities relevant to their context and mobilize collective effort involving both levels of government, development partners, civil society and the private sector to improve adolescent and youth health outcomes.
The development of the second edition of AYFS Guidelines and the 2015 National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy clearly prove the Kenya government’s desire and commitment to bring adolescent and youth sexual/reproductive health and rights issues into the country’s mainstream health and development agenda.
However, a more focused effort is required to increase access to SRH information and services among adolescents and youth and improve health outcomes. These AYFS guidelines evolved through an extensive consultative process involving key adolescent and youth SRH stakeholders, Counties’ Departments of Health, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and youth-serving organisations, among others.
The policy outlines the standards for service provision of AYSRH services, the essential package of services, service delivery models and service delivery points that should be 6 National Guidelines for the Provision of Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services in Kenya implemented and scaled up at the counties to improve the health outcomes of adolescents and youth.
All government sectors, including education, law enforcement and protection agencies, transport and agriculture, have an important role in planning and delivering sexual and reproductive health services to adolescents and youth.
AYSRH needs are best met through involving adolescents and youth in every phase of action: from assessing their needs to designing programmes to launching and implementing programmes and evaluating their impact.
The Ministry of Health will enhance intergovernmental coordination mechanisms that ensure a collective response from both levels of government and development partners to rapidly improve the health status of adolescents and youth in Kenya.