Teenage pregnancies declining since 2015 — Fatimah

KUCHING: The number of teenage pregnancies is on the decline since 2015, but the state still records the highest number of cases in the country.

“Teenage pregnancy is caused by many factors like rape, incest, and social ill. We want these teenagers to know they can get support from the ministry, like shelter. Their welfare will be taken care of at Taman Seri Puteri (shelter for pregnant teenagers),” said Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah during a briefing at the shelter yesterday.

The shelter also allows the girls to get the care they need and to prevent baby dumping, she said.

She added that a Sarawak Teenage Pregnancy Management Guide has also been developed using interagency standard operating procedures (SOP) to ensure teenage pregnancy cases are handled properly. Two roadshows have been held using the SOP.

Through the awareness and advocacy of sexual education programme, 10 public agencies, NGOs and associations have worked together to create awareness amongst teenagers to prevent pre-marital sex and pregnancy.

Fourteen of such programme will be held in all divisions this year.

“We have a key performance index in our bid to reduce teenage pregnancies by 10 per cent each year. Last year, we reduced the number from 2,481 to 2020 cases, which exceeded the 10 per cent target. We hope this downward trend will continue with cooperation from everyone,” Fatimah said

The shelter also helps unmarried pregnant young girls through it Yayasan Sinar Kasih centre where girls can carry out their pregnancies in secret until they deliver the baby. They can then decide if they want to keep the baby or give it away for adoption.

“Through this, pregnant school leavers, college and university students can have a safe place for them to continue their pregnancy.

“The shocking cases of baby dumping by college students show they dondn’t know the existence of such services, which is very sad,” she said.

Assistant Minister of Community Well Being Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus, director of the state Women and Family Department Noriah Ahmad, and the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Saadiah Abdul Samat were present during the visit and briefing.