The SRHR Advocates Network in the Upper East Region has marked International Youth Day 2025 with a strong call to address teenage pregnancy, describing it as a major threat to girls’ education, health, and future.
Under the theme “Youth Empowerment for a Sustainable Future”, the network highlighted alarming figures from the Ghana Health Service, which recorded 2,436 teenage pregnancies between January and May 2025 — including 25 cases among girls aged 10–14 and 2,411 among those aged 15–19.
The group warned that teenage pregnancy leads to school dropouts, health complications, stigma, and economic strain on both families and public services. Root causes identified include the lack of comprehensive sexuality education, cultural taboos, gender-based violence, poverty, and poor access to youth-friendly health services.
The network urged the National Youth Authority, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to act by integrating reproductive health education into schools, expanding adolescent-friendly services, providing legal and psychosocial support for survivors, engaging community leaders in open dialogue, and mobilizing resources to scale up interventions.
“Teenage pregnancy should never be a barrier to a girl’s dreams. Every girl deserves safety, dignity, education, and opportunity,” the statement read.
The press release was signed by 11 partner organizations, including Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana, AfriKids, Rise Ghana, Camfed Ghana, Restorative Seed Society, PPA, INTYON, Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (Upper East Region), UERCC-UNFPA/Focal Person, Asige Foundation, and RTP.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga|
