Teenage pregnancy cases down last year
MIRI: Teenage pregnancy cases in Sarawak last year decreased by 4.2 per cent (or 351 cases) from the number of cases in 2016.
Statistics from the state Health Department recorded a total of 2,130 teenage pregnancy cases last year compared to 2,481 in 2016.
We are extremely happy that the number has decreased,” Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said at a ‘One Stop Teenage Pregnancy Committee (OSTPC) roadshow here yesterday.
Fatimah also said that nine divisions recorded decreasing number (10 per cent) of teenage pregnancies last year from the number in 2016.
Three divisions recorded an increase or no change in the number of teenage pregnancy cases in 2017, They were Sibu (no change), Limbang (up by 17.3 per cent) and Sri Aman (up by 56.7 per cent)
In Miri, the number of teenage pregnancy cases decreased by 10.86 per cent (39 cases) from 320 cases in 2017 (244 cases in Miri and 76 cases in Marudi) to 359 cases in 2016.
“The ministry is worried about the increase in the number of unmarried pregnant teenagers in Sarawak, based on statistics last year which shows that 54.6 per cent of pregnant teenagers are not married.
“We need to step up efforts to address the problems through awareness, advocacy and prevention programmes together with our strategic partners,” she said.
The establishment of OSTPC in 2014 is an initiative to coordinate the management and settlement of teenage pregnancy cases on a one-stop basis by the ministry’s strategic partners.
“Through OSTPC, the problems faced by pregnant teenagers such as legal, health, social, safety, education, financial, welfare, marital status, identity documents and so on can be addressed effectively,” she said.
The OSTPC roadshow was held to explain about its functions, roles and structures to all (OSTPC) members including community leaders and the public.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus, Piasau assamblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, state Women and Family Department director Noriah Ahmad and a representative from the Resident’s Office Majenah Lass were also present.