Shocking 14,000 Teen Pregnancies Rock Bono Region
Over 14,000 Teenage Pregnancies Recorded in Bono Region: Health Authorities Call for Stronger Family Planning Measures
Rita Adjoa Ansong, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services in charge of Public Health at the Bono Regional Health Directorate, reported that 14,877 adolescent pregnancies occurred in the Bono Region of Ghana between 2021 and 2024. Miss Ansong brought attention to a worrying trend in adolescent reproductive health while speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Sunyani during African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW).
Along with the high pregnancy rate, 1,188 incidents of abortion among females between the ages of 15 and 19 were reported in the region during the same time period. According to annual figures, there were 388 abortions and 3,999 adolescent pregnancies in 2021. The numbers decreased to 3,492 pregnancies and 217 abortions in 2023 after significantly increasing to 4,058 conceptions and 351 abortions in 2022. There were 282 abortions and 3,328 pregnancies reported during 2024. Miss Ansong called the situation extremely concerning and emphasized the pressing need for better teenage education and Family Planning (FP) services. Giving young girls access to FP services will allow them to make reproductive health decisions and pursue their education without being interrupted by unintended births, she noted.
She also underlined how obstacles including religious myths, a lack of community support, and cultural misunderstandings still restrict access to FP services in the area. However, FP coverage has somewhat improved, reaching 39.58% of the target group in 2024 compared to 36.45% in 2023. She credited the availability of long-acting contraceptive methods, cooperation between health partners, and the efforts of groups like Marie Stopes, DKT International, and the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) for this advancement. In order to eliminate the stigmas associated with FP and guarantee a healthier future for teenage girls, Miss Ansong called on the media and interested parties to step up their efforts in public education and awareness campaigns.
The stakeholder meeting’s objective, as restated by Dr. Prince Quarshie, Deputy Director of Public Health, was to promote cooperation between medical experts, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and the media while increasing public knowledge of vaccinations and comprehensive child health care. He underlined that AVW and CHPW are important venues for advancing the health of children via immunization, diet, and illness prevention.
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