Akatsi South records 177 teenage pregnancies in six months

In Akatsi South Municipality, 177 teenage pregnancies were recorded between January and June 2026, making up 13.2% of all pregnancies registered. The majority of these pregnancies were among girls aged 15 to 19, with seven cases involving girls aged 10 to 14. This figure surpassed the national target of under 11.5% for teenage pregnancies.

Municipal Director of Health Services, Mrs. Justine Sefakor Alornyo, deemed teenage pregnancy the municipality's "most troubling indicator" and emphasized that it was not just a health issue, but also a social, educational, and child protection concern. She vowed to intensify efforts to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health, reaching out to both school-going and out-of-school adolescents in areas with high pregnancy rates.

Mrs. Alornyo also stated that cases involving girls aged 10 to 14 years should be treated as child protection matters and referred appropriately. To improve early prenatal care, the Directorate would strengthen community-based antenatal care mobilization through CHPS compounds, community health volunteers, and traditional birth attendants.

Despite improvements in antenatal care registration, only 68.9% of pregnant women were registered, leaving a significant number of women without early access to healthcare. Mrs. Alornyo called for stronger community collaboration to tackle the causes of teenage pregnancy and enhance maternal and adolescent health outcomes.