Advancing Evidence-Based Solutions to Support Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents in Kenya (PROMOTE 2.0)

Abstract

This publication presents evidence-based solutions to strengthen support for pregnant and parenting adolescents in Kenya, building on the African Population and Health Research Center's PROMOTE program of research and stakeholder engagement. In Kenya, approximately 15 percent of girls begin childbearing before age 19, while across sub-Saharan Africa nearly one in four girls begins childbearing before age 18. Although Kenya has made progress in recognizing the needs of pregnant and parenting adolescents in national policies, including school re-entry guidelines and youth-friendly health services, significant gaps remain in implementation and coordination across sectors, with inconsistent application across counties and limited monitoring mechanisms. Drawing on a multi-stakeholder dialogue convened with government representatives, civil society organizations, youth actors, and development partners, the publication surfaces gaps in the coherence of health, education, and social protection interventions for this population and proposes evidence-based approaches to close the divide between policy commitments and the lived realities of pregnant and parenting adolescents in Kenya.