The Bawku West District has recorded the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the Upper East Region, with 713 cases documented between January and October 2025, according to the Ghana Health Service. The figures were presented at a regional stakeholders’ dialogue organized by ActionAid Ghana to mark the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence.
Regional Adolescent Focal Person, Dora Kulariba, said the high rates in certain districts are linked to remote settlements that limit access to health information and services, long distances to schools and health facilities, as well as sociocultural factors such as early marriage traditions, cultural expectations around fertility, and growing peer influence. Bolgatanga East District recorded the lowest number of teenage pregnancies, with 85 cases within the same period.
During the event, Dorcas Zoogah, President of the Young Urban Women’s Movement (YUWM), presented a petition calling for the arrest and prosecution of Sulley Fongo, who is alleged to have defiled two girls aged 4 and 7. The petition cited weak enforcement of child protection and sexual-offense laws, stigma and cultural silence that discourage reporting, limited access to sexual health education, and inadequate psychosocial and reintegration support for survivors as key drivers of sexual violence.
The petition further urged the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, and law enforcement agencies to strengthen adolescent-friendly health corners across all districts, provide survivor-centered responses including medical care and legal aid, and scale up comprehensive sexuality education.
The group pledged to continue community dialogues, civic education, survivor support, and public monitoring of investigations and prosecutions across districts including Talensi, Nabdam, Bolgatanga, Bawku, Zebilla, Pusiga, Binduri, Kassena-Nankana, and Builsa.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Issahaku reaffirmed the Regional Coordinating Council’s commitment to addressing sexual violence and reducing teenage pregnancy rates. The event also featured a drama on sexual abuse perpetrated by teachers, performed by students of Bolgatanga Senior High School (Big Boss), and a panel discussion involving representatives from the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, DOVVSU, the Gender Ministry, a legal practitioner, and the Ghana National Association of Teachers.
Source: a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mercy Yamtot|Bolgatanga
