More than 15 000 teenage girls fell pregnant during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years, Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula has announced

Shangula, while receiving contraceptives, reproductive health and dignity kits from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) here on Thursday, said Namibia continues to record high numbers of underage pregnancies.

He said during 2020/21 the Kavango West Region recorded the highest number of teenage pregnancies at 24.3 per cent, followed by Kunene with 22.4 per cent and Kavango East at 21.1 per cent, while the lowest number of pregnancies were recorded in Khomas at 7.8 per cent, Erongo at 8.8 per cent and Oshana at 9.6 per cent.

During 2021/22, Kavango West once again recorded the highest number of pregnancies at 23.9 per cent; while the teenage pregnancy rate stood at 22.9 per cent in Kunene and 21.1 per cent in the Kavango East Region. The Khomas Region recorded the lowest number of teenage pregnancies at 7.4 per cent; while Erongo stood at 8.9 per cent and the //Kharas Region at 9.8 per cent.

“Teenage pregnancies have a tremendous impact on the lives of the affected young women. Not only do unplanned pregnancies disrupt the education trajectory of these young people, but it may also give rise to other negative results such as infection with Sexually Transmitted Infections,” he said.

Shangula stressed that many young women, after falling pregnant, suffer depression and may develop other health-related complications such as miscarriages, noting that often, many girls who fall pregnant attempt unsafe and illegal termination of pregnancies, resulting in injuries and even death.

There is, thus, a need to ensure that safe and reliable contraceptives are easily accessible, affordable and available in a wide range of forms to all those who need them in all parts of the country. The minister noted that at state hospitals, contraceptives are available free of charge.

“I wish to again underscore the importance of providing young people with education on issues of contraceptives so that they can make informed choices and decisions when they decide to seek these. It is important to ensure that counselling services are available, including at school in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, through the School Health Programme,” he noted.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency