Over the last four years, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has recorded more than 2,125 teenage pregnancies in the Abura-Asiebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District of the Central Region.
On the average, 531.25 cases of teenage pregnancies were reported and recorded annually.
In all, a total of 38 teenage pregnancies were registered among girls between the ages of 10-14 years, with 2,087 of adolescent pregnancies between 15-19 years of age.
Additionally, the district has already recorded more than 280 teenage pregnancies in the first quarter of 2017, Kate Grimmon-Thompson, the district public health nurse, gave the statistics at a family planning forum held in Cape Coast on Wednesday.
The forum brought together over 30 traditional leaders, media and health experts from AAK District and the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrim (KEEA) to dialogue on ways to promote family planning in their communities.
The event which was organised by the Health Service was funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Mrs Grimmon-Thompson attributed the situation to sexual exploitation of teenage girls by some men, irresponsible parenting, misconceptions about family planning, lack of sex education and family planning.
She indicated that the service would soon roll out adolescent youth clubs in some communities to mount education on sex, family planning practices and other health-related issues.
The district public health nurse appealed to the clergy, teachers, assembly members, civil society organisations and the traditional councils to join the campaign to reduce the current trend of teenage pregnancies in the area.
That, notwithstanding, she expressed the readiness of her outfit to bring the menace to its lowest minimum.
At KEEA, a total of 510 cases were reported from January to September 2017, according to Juliana Armah, KEEA District Director of Nursing Services, who attributed the issue to poverty and lack of parental care and control.
Dr Kwaku Karikari, Deputy Regional Director of Public Health, in his opening remarks at the forum, pointed out that family planning benefits the health and well-being of people, adding that using contraception could help avoid unwanted pregnancies, space births, protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.
He admonished parents not to shirk their responsibilities towards their children.
Lucio Dery, Deputy Director of Administration at the GHS, said bearing and bringing up children is a capital intensive venture and, therefore, family planning is very important.
He stressed the need for increased sex educations by all stakeholders to enable the youth to know how their reproductive systems function, how to use contraceptives and the truth about pregnancy and birth control measures.
Some participants suggested that parents should complement teachers’ efforts in teaching moral education.
They appealed to government to terminate appointment of teachers who impregnate school girls and prosecute them as well.
The participants also stressed the need for parents to bond with their children through regular communication in order to enable the children to have the opportunity to share their problems with them.
They also urged officials of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the courts to severely punish men who impregnate teenagers to serve as deterrent to others.
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