LOOK AFTER ADOLESCENTS TO SECURE THEIR FUTURE

AN integrated approach in managing adolescents is needed to preserve the future of the country, a non-governmental organisation, COMLIN Foundation has observed.

Executive director, Kabanda Kaoma said the report of 794 teenage pregnancies in two months was a wake up call for the country to invest in adolescent friendly pregnancy preventive services because it was a fact that most adolescents were sexually active.

Mr. Kaoma said in an interview that the country lacked adolescent friendly services and this has contributed to increased number of teenage pregnancies recorded every year.

He said without such facilities in place, the free education policy which encourages children to stay in school would not serve its purpose as most of the girl children would continue to drop out of school after falling pregnant.

“As such, it is vital that adolescents have access to pregnancy preventive methods including primary HIV preventive methods like post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and these should be made available to them in a non-judgmental way,” he said.

Mr. Kaoma said if the issue of teenage pregnancies is not addressed through the provision of such services, the UPND administration’s free education policy would not achieve it’s intended objective of ensure that children are educated and help develop the country.

He said 793 teenage pregnancies recorded in Chipangali District in the past two months as reported in the media was alarming and needed quick action in order to keep the girls in school.