Teenage pregnancies remain high in Kavango

RUNDU - Kavango East region senior education officer Adolf Muremi has said pregnancies among adolescent girls in the region remain a problem, with 520 teenage pregnancies recorded last year.

The senior education officer for HIV/Aids and wellness in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday said, of the 520 girls who fell pregnant, 423 are still in school while 97 have dropped out.

“The Mukwe circuit recorded 87 teenage pregnancies, Kambimba 10, Shinyungwe 36, Ndiyona 71, Shambyu 149 and Rundu circuit 167 teenage pregnancies,” he said.

Meanwhile, regional school counsellor Marthinus Hamutenya said teenage pregnancy remains a barrier to achieving education for all, noting that the Covid-19 lockdowns contributed to the increase in teenage pregnancies as there was nothing to keep learners busy, along with economic hardship.

He said: “Cultural beliefs in some communities discourage girls from accessing family planning from clinics and hospitals.” He called on traditional authority councils to make the prevention of teenage pregnancies a priority.

Spokesperson of the Kavango West Regional Council Salomo Tenga said the region too, is concerned about the high rate of learner pregnancies as data collected for 2020 indicates that the region ranked second after Omusati with a record of 554. Omusati recorded 564.

“The rate at which learners are falling pregnant requires immediate intervention to reduce the figure,” he said.

Tenga said upon analysis, it has been established that some of the contributing factors are cohabiting, social grants which are seemingly a motive for more children, socio-economic pressure, and peer pressure.

Other factors are religious and traditional norms, beliefs and practices, and lack of basic needs such as food, hygiene products and shelter.

Tenga said the regional office remains committed to addressing the situation with the support of relevant stakeholders to ensure the learner pregnancy rate is dealt with.

The regional office, he stated, will further conduct training on the implementation of the learner pregnancy and management policy.

It was further decided to have the regional school health task force advocate for the prevention of teenage pregnancy and the diagnostic, advisory and counselling services section to intensify counselling for the learner-mother at school.