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{
    "id": 1268788,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1268788/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 115,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marsabit County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Naomi Waqo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I thank Hon. Jane Maina for coming up with this Motion. It is important for us to deliberate on this matter. It is important for us to debate the matter because issues to do with health are vital. It is the responsibility of the Government to give every citizen equal opportunity. Every citizen has the right to the highest attainable standards of health. This includes the right to healthcare services as well as mental care. From colonial times to date, many counties in our country have benefited a lot in terms of getting the best healthcare. However, people in many other counties still suffer because they have been marginalised for many years. They do not have good hospitals or healthcare centres. They do not have the special care that they need and, as a result, many people have lost their lives. Today our learners, especially the young ones, are exposed a lot to social media. They interact with very many sites through their phones or those of their parents. As Africans, we avoid talk on sex and sex education. Some of us feel that it is embarrassing to talk about such issues while some feel that it is taboo to discuss with our children. However, children get exposed to sex in many different ways. Some children go to the extent of even practising and getting into sexual acts while still young. I support this Motion because introducing health education as a subject at the school level will help our young people to understand the risks that exist. In our country today, there are too many young people affected by teenage pregnancies. This is because they have not been educated properly. The percentage of young girls who have experienced teenage pregnancies is quite high. Some of our counties also suffer as a result of teenage pregnancies because we do not talk about such issues and the dangers they pose. When a 14-year-old girl is expectant, her education is interfered with and her future ruined. Sometimes the girls are infected with different diseases. In some cases, the girls end up being infected with HIV/AIDS. That is why the rate of HIV/AIDS in our country is quite high compared to past years. Currently, young people aged between 15 and 25 years are the most affected by this disease. It is important to give this Motion all the attention it deserves to make sure that we help our young people to understand and prepare themselves in terms of their health. It is advisable that our children abstain from sex so that they concentrate on their education. However, abstinence alone is no longer tenable. If one is not able to abstain, then it is good that we educate our children well. This will ensure that they are well equipped and knowledgeable enough. Even if they engage in sex, they can do so wisely so that they prevent STIs. This will help them secure their future. As we talk about sex education, we cannot avoid talking about mental health. Many young people are depressed as a result of the frustrations they have gone through. Some girls are depressed because of sexual harassment in school by their schoolmates or their lecturers The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}