According to data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), there were 7,618 recorded abortions among teenage girls in 2022. In context, this translates to about 21 abortions per day.
This figure is 10% lower than the 2021 figure of 8,465. For the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, the total number of abortions among teenage girls was 24,108. The average for the three years is 8,036 abortions among teenagers translating to 22 abortions per day and about an abortion every hour of the day.
Similar to other years, the Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of teenage abortions in 2022 with a total of 1,275. The region recorded 1,407 and 1,531 teenage abortions in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
The Eastern Region recorded the second highest figure of 1,106 while the Ahafo Region recorded the lowest number of teenage abortions with a total of 171 abortions in 2022.
Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization, 55% of unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls aged 15-19 years end in abortions which are often unsafe in low and middle income countries.