Tupange Pamoja Advocacy Efforts Lead to 180% Increase in AYSRH Funding in Kilifi County, Kenya

TCI’s County Manager (left) with Kilifi County Executive Committee Member for Health Dr. Anisa Omar.

Kilifi County has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Kenya. In 2018 alone, more than 14,000 school-aged girls between 13 and 19 years old were pregnant, according to the Children’s Affairs Department. These worrisome statistics represent girls whose education has been cut short as they transition to motherhood roles.

To address these high rates of teenage pregnancy, The Challenge Initiative – locally implemented as Tupange Pamoja – worked with the Kilifi Ministry of Health (MoH) team in an advocacy effort targeting members of the Kilifi County Assembly. Their efforts led to the county increasing increasing their allocation of funds for adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) by 180% – from $25,000 (USD) to $70,000 for the 2019/2020 fiscal year. 

Tupange Pamoja was recognized by the county’s health management team for its technical assistance in advocating for new AYSRH support and resources, encouraging continuation of the partnership.

“This is the first type of increased financial commitment for the 2019/2020 financial year. This budget will be applied during implementation,” said Dr. Anisa Omar, Kilifi County’s Executive Committee Member for Health. 

While the Initiative is working to prioritize domestic resource mobilization for AYSRH in key Kenyan counties, it is also continuing to strengthen the capacity of health sector leadership to mobilize resources for the adequate allocation of funds to support family planning in Kilifi County.