Teenage pregnancy is on a downward trend in the Ashanti Region as the various interventions and intense public education campaign begin to show positive results.
A total of 18,441 adolescents got pregnant, last year, compared with the year 2015 figure of 19,416 and the 20,395 reported in 2014.
Dr. Alexis Nang-Beifubah, the Regional Health Director, who announced this, said despite the progress, the situation was far from ideal and asked that the momentum was sustained.
He said more work needed to be done to substantially reduce cases of pregnancy among young people.
He was speaking at a day’s media orientation on adolescent sexual reproductive health in Kumasi.
It was organized by the Regional Health Directorate under the theme “Reducing teenage pregnancy, a shared responsibility: the role of the media”.
Dr. Nang-Beifubah highlighted the need to provide young people with access to the right information and youth friendly services at the health facilities.
This, he stated, was vital to aid them to make appropriate choices and decisions.
“The adolescent stage is a complex one where young people take on new roles and responsibilities, where they become over-excited, leading them to experiment with their new independence.”
He said it was the time they required strong support and engagement by everybody – parents, the media, parents and the entire society to avoid pitfalls.
Dr. Kwasi Yeboah-Awudzi, Deputy Regional Director, Public Health, said the objective of the programme was to encourage journalists to put a spotlight on adolescent sexual reproductive health – to call all stakeholders to action.
He mentioned that 33 teenage mothers died in the region over the last three years and added that the nation could not afford to continue to lose its young people through the termination of unwanted pregnancies.