The Nkoranza municipality in the Brong Ahafo region has recorded 311 cases of teenage pregnancy within six months in 2015. The municipal health officer Mr. Addo Sampson revealed this at an orientation of media personnel on adolescent sexual reproductive health in Nkoranza organized by the municipal health service.
He revealed that the municipality recorded 600 teenage pregnancy cases in 2012, 650 in 2013 as well as recorded 616 cases in 2014. He placed the pregnant girls within two categories of between 10 and 14 years as well as between 15 and 19. But he was quick to add that these were only the reported cases from the various hospitals.
On cases of HIV, he said the number of cases recorded within the same period in Nkoranza was 12.
According to him teenage pregnancy was becoming a phenomenon in the municipality and needed urgent attention to tackle the menace. Mr Addo said that despite the collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) in educating the young people, the situation has not seen any improvement.
He called on the media and the parents to support teachers and the Ghana Health Service in educating young girls in our communities not to engage in premarital sex. Mr Akwesi Gyan, in charge of the Nkoranza municipal school of health education said there was the need for parents to exhibit greater parental responsibilities over their wards.
He said social media was negatively influencing youth and that these were just a few of its the negative effects.
Source: ritefmonline.org
