The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, and the Standard Media Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote sexual and reproductive health, youth, and population matters, with the goal of advancing the health and well-being of women, girls and young people.

The partnership will leverage on the Standard Media Group’s extensive footprint in print, radio, TV, and digital platforms alongside UNFPA’s expertise in sexual and reproductive health and rights to highlight critical issues such as maternal health, ending gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls, youth leadership and participation, as well as reaching populations furthest left behind with sexual and reproductive health information and services.

We want to facilitate conversations that drive policies and create social impact, more so during times of adversity such as the ongoing drought

Speaking during the signing of the MOU, UNFPA Representative Anders Thomsen said that while Kenya has made great progress in the reduction of maternal deaths and uptake of family planning, more still needs to be done, particularly in safeguarding the sexual and reproductive health and well-being of young people.

 “With 75% of Kenya’s population below the age of 35, we need to ensure that we are reaching this demographic with quality information that will help them make the right choices so that we can address issues such as teenage pregnancy that have an adverse impact on the economic and social development of the country,” said Mr. Thomsen. 

Standard Media Group CEO Orlando Lyomu emphasized that partnerships between the media and development partners such as UNFPA are key to achieving the sustainable development goals. “As a media house, we want to facilitate conversations that drive policies and create social impact, more so during such times of global adversity brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict in parts of the world, and the ongoing drought in Kenya and the horn of Africa,” added Mr. Lyomu.