Over the last three years, the Upper East Region has been recording an overall decrease in teenage pregnancy cases.
“We have made some gains even though we are still far from the national target which is 11.5 percent per region,” a Regional Information Officer with the Ghana Health Service, Madam Charity Tanni said when she spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show recently.
Madam Tanni explained that the reduction in the overall cases of teenage pregnancies could be attributed to concerted efforts from stakeholders.
“Looking at data from the past 3 years, we have actually recorded a decline from 15.4 percent to 15.2 percent in 2021. In 2022, we had 14.2 percent. We would say we have recorded some gains because of the work we have done,” she said.
Despite the overall decline in teenage pregnancies, Madam Tanni expressed some concerns over the growing number of cases in some districts within the Upper East Region.
“We have seen that in Nabdam for example, we have an increase in the teenage pregnancy rates. In our Municipalities like Bolga and Bawku, they consistently record low percentages. Bolga East, for the past few years, has also started recording some increases in cases.”
Nabdam, according to the Upper East Regional Focal Person in charge of Adolescent Reproductive Health at the Regional Health Directorate, Madam Dora Kulariba has become a hotspot for teenage pregnancies because of the large gold mining activities. The same, she said, can be said for other districts like Talensi.
“In Nabdam, they have this gold mining. You will agree with me that anything that has to do with capital, or money, you find the youth there mostly. When you have money, you make good or bad decisions. They [the girls] are being influenced. Nabdam is having these issues because of the mining that is going on there. That is also to say that its sister district, Talensi, is also having high teenage pregnancies. Bolga East is being roped in gradually because they all share boundaries.”
Madam Kulariba explained that Bongo, which used to be previously notorious for teenage pregnancies, has become a prime example of how teenage pregnancies can be dealt with adequately if stakeholders play their roles properly.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
