The Upper West Regional Focal Person on Adolescent Health Services, Rosemary Pognaa Bangzie, has indicated that the Regional Health Directorate has put in place measures to curb teenage pregnancy in the region.
These measures, according to Rosemary Bangzie, is to encourage victims and ensure they return to school to continue their education after delivery.
Rosemary Bangzie stated that girls below 20 formed 11.9 per cent of recorded pregnancies in the region in 2020, which was a little lower than the 13.5 per cent and 13.8 per cent in 2019 and 2018 respectively.
She disclosed that some of the victims of teenage pregnancy were forced into early marriage, which was inimical to their holistic development.
“When girls become pregnant during this period, they become ill prepared mentally and emotionally to give birth, some may resort to unsafe abortion practices that may be harmful to their health. They may drop out from school resulting in lack of skills for future employment and therefore pushed to the perpetual cycle of poverty”.
Rosemary Bangzie
GHS collaborating with stakeholders on interventions
Rosemary Bangzie mentioned that as part of efforts by the GHS to curb the menace, it is collaborating with other stakeholders to execute some interventions at the community level.
She identified such interventions to include; “The formation of 30 in-school adolescent health clubs in 30 basic schools in seven districts and municipalities and 10 out-of-school clubs in five districts in the region with high cases of teenage pregnancy including the Wa West District”.
According to her, the GHS is also implementing the “Safety Net” programme in five districts with high cases of teenage pregnancy to help reduce the issue of child marriage and to promote girl child education in the region.
5,534 recorded teenage pregnancies in U/E
In a related development, the Catholic Health Service of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Development Organization (NABOCADO), has disclosed that a total of 5,534 girls under 20 years in the Upper East Region, got pregnant in the first 10 months of 2021.
Mr. Peter Akudugu Ayamba, the Primary Healthcare Coordinator of NABOCADO who made this known indicated that the said figures were taken from the Ghana Health Service represented 15.4 per cent of the population of girls below 20 years in the Region.
Mr. Ayamba said child marriage was also prevalent in the region with current figures revealing that 13.5 per cent and 34.8 per cent of girls in the region got married before 15 and 18 years respectively.
He stated that teenage pregnancy and child marriage were a violation of the universal declaration on human rights and a dent on the efforts for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. As such, he revealed that a Child Health Project is being implemented by the Catholic Church to leverage synergies towards safeguarding teenage girls against pregnancies and early marriage
Mr. Ayamba stated that the project would collaborate with active and identified community groups and stakeholders to prioritize and intensify sensitization on adolescent reproductive health education at both schools and communities.
