Kenya joined the global community in celebrating World Population Day on July 31.
The focus was on harnessing data to drive evidence-based policy-making, particularly in addressing the challenges faced by adolescents and young people.
This year’s theme, "Embracing Data for Decision-Making: Using Evidence to Invest in Adolescents and Young People," underscores the importance of leveraging accurate and comprehensive data to inform developmental strategies at all levels of government.
World Population Day is usually celebrated on July 11, but it was postponed.
"This year we postponed our national celebration due to factors beyond our control and thus the change of date from the initial date," NCPD chair Mohamed Sheikh said.
"This year, I am pleased to report that with the support from our partners, we were able to hold World Population Day in various counties including Marsabit, Mandera, Isiolo, Nandi, West Pokot, Narok, Kisumu, Nyamira, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega, Nyeri, Nakuru," he added.
World Population Day, first celebrated in Kenya on July 11, 1990, continues to play a crucial role in raising awareness about population issues.
This year, the event emphasizes the need to strengthen the capacity to utilize and communicate population data and research findings to policymakers, development partners, and program implementers.
The importance of this year’s objectives, which include raising awareness of the achievements and challenges faced by adolescents and young people was also highlighted.
The policy, aligned with the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023, aims to achieve a high quality of life for Kenya’s population through sustainable development.
The Sessional Paper addresses six thematic areas: population size, growth, and age structure; fertility; morbidity and mortality; mobility, migration, and urbanization; population, human settlement, environment, and disasters; and data, research, and innovation.
The emphasis on data, research, and innovation aligns with the World Population Day theme, reflecting Kenya’s commitment to utilizing data to shape its future.
The government reiterated its commitment to providing credible and comprehensive data for programming, embracing digital innovations such as cloud computing and big data for real-time population data availability.
The government also expressed gratitude to partners such as the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), and international organizations like UNFPA and UNICEF for their continued support in implementing population programs.