The Akyemansa District Assembly in the Eastern region is calling for the support of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Child Right activists to help curb the alarming surge in teenage pregnancy in the district.
The Akyemansa District topped teenage pregnancy cases in the Eastern region in 2016. It recorded 445 teenage pregnancy cases which represented 18% of all pregnancy cases recorded in the district during the year under review.
Also in 2017, the number of teenage pregnancies increased to 488 representing 20.6% of pregnancy cases recorded in the district.
Available data at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) shows that a total of 25,285 teenage girls got pregnant in the Eastern Region over the past two years. Six hundred and sixty-nine (669) of these teenage mothers were aged between 10 and 14 years.
The Akyemansa District Health Director Madam Gifty Sunu, worried about the menace has called on traditional rulers, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the District Assembly to join the health directorate to find solutions to the problem.
“We need stakeholders on board, if we want to fight the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the Akyemansa district, let’s talk about the traditional authorities we have in our communities, when they come together to set up bye-laws that will prevent men impregnating these young girls, there should be some laws put in Place. They, the District Assembly they also have a key role to play, Ministry of Education or GES they have key role to play, the NCCE ,all have to come onboard,” he urged.
The District Chief Executive for Akyemansa, Paul Asamoah on his part said teenage pregnancy menace has become a burden on the district hence some interventions are being made.
“During our previous assembly meeting we realized that we have to stamp our foot down and push some of these things into our bye-laws so that we can enforce it to stop some of these things. Some of the parents when their children below 16 years are impregnated, they will go and sit with the person to settle such criminal matter amicably in the house so we want to stop all these things.”
Family planning has been suggested as an emergency option. But the DCE says the teenagers are not showing interest in any of the family planning services available despite education by the health directorate. In 2016 for instance , 5,340 accepted went for family planning while 6962 represented 26.6% were offered family planning services in 2017 some of whom are teenagers.
He believes the long term intervention to address this menace is quality affordable education .
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
