Imarisha Maisha

Urbanization and Youth in Kenya: A Demographic Overview

Young, Urban and Growing: Understanding and Meeting the

Health Needs of Kenya’s Growing Population of Urban slum-Dwelling

Youth

Alan G. Johnston2011 Global Health Council Conference,

Urban Health Panel14th June, 2011

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Kenya: Basic Demographic Indicators

1969 1989 2009

Population (millions) 10.9 23.2 38.6 Percent urban 9.9 18.1 23.8 Inter-censal growth rate 3.3 3.4 3.0 Total fertility rate 7.6 6.7 4.6 Infant mortality rate 119 66 52.0

Sources: CBS, 1970, 1994; KNBS, 2010

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Kenyan Youth

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Kenya: a stall in urbanization?

In Kenya, built-up areas with a population of at least 2,000 are considered urban

Enumeration areas are coded (1) rural, (2) core-urban, and (3) peri-urban

Core-urban + peri-urban = Total urban

In 1999, Total urban = 9,626,476 (34.2 %)

In 2009, Total urban = 12,487,375 (32.3 %)

Source: KNBS, 2011, personal communication

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Kenya: struggling to reduce poverty

The proportion of families living in poverty has been reduced:

In 1999, 54 % below the poverty line

= 15.2 million

In 2009, 46 % below the poverty line

= 17.8 million Thus, the number of people living

in poverty has increased by 2.6 million in the past decade

Source: KNBS, KIHBS, 1997, 2006

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Rapidly growing population of urban youth

Kenya youth age 15-24:1969 = 1.9 million2009 = 7.9 millionIn 2009, 32.3 percent live in urban

areas = 2.6 millionIn 2009, 34.4 percent of urban youth

(15-24) live in poverty = 900,000

What is the current trend in teenage pregnancies in Kenya?

Trends in Adolescent Fertility

ASFR (15-19) 1993 1998 2003 2008/9

Urban 74 90 88 92

Rural 119 119 123 107

Total 110 111 114 103

Source: KDHS, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008/9

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Urban Contraceptive Prevalence(modern methods), Kenya, 2010

City CPR (20-24) CPR (15-49)

Nairobi 39.7 43.7

Mombasa 28.4 29.4

Kisumu 49.3 44.4

Kakamega 46.3 46.0

Machakos 39.5 45.3

Source: Tupange Baseline Household Survey, 2010, collectedin collaboration with the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation Project

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HIV prevalence among Kenyan youth, by age-group, 2008/9 KDHS

15-19 20-24 25-290

2

4

6

8

10

12

WomenMen

percentage

National HIV prevalence (15-49) = 6.3 %

Source: KDHS 2008/09

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The challenges for poor urban populations

Over the past decades, the environmental and health hazards of dense urban slums have become persistent features of Kenya’s urban landscape. The challenges facing youth living in these environments include the search for the educational and job opportunities that will help them build a solid future. This panel will focus on innovative strategies to address their unique health challenges to enable them to take advantage of those opportunities.