Pregnancy among 9-year-old's prompts Health directorate to take drastic measures

Teenage pregnancy in the Adansi South District of the Ashanti region is fast becoming a serious issue with the District recording a high number of teenage pregnancy cases yearly with some victims as young as 9 years.

This phenomenon is understood to be causing sleepless nights to the managers of the regional health directorate.

Health Director, Dr.Daniel Yeboah told Obuasi TV Chukwu Joseph, that the District recorded a total of 580 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2015.

In 2016, the figures surged higher from 580 to 640 which sent an electric wave through the spine of the entire District, and in response, the Queen mother of the Edubiase, Nana Akua Dwum ll, launched 'Operation sleep before 8pm' in some communities in the District just in a bid to tame the lion-like menace preparing its paws to devour young girls of their bright future.

The initiative yielded positive results as cases in 2017 dropped to 401 representing 17.7%. decrease.

But in 2018, the rods were spared causing another increase to 461 cases representing a 20.5% increase.

In 2019, 404 cases were recorded representing 18% drop whiles 2020 saw 433 cases representing an 18.8% increase.

Records from the first six months of 2021 indicate 430 cases have been recorded with some victims as young as 9 years.

Dr Yeboah said they're taking drastic measures against its further surge.

"The number of cases we are recording is very much alarming and it will not be a surprise to see the worst ever figures recorded since 2000 at the end of 2021".

"In view of this, we're launching an initiative called 'Medaakye Nti' to educate the youth and also build a youth-friendly facility that will address their issues", he added.

He attributed the rise in teenage pregnancy in the district to the low levels of education on sexuality and appealed to parents and teachers to take their children through sex education, abstinence, or self-protection.

Youth President of Adansi South District Mr. Ali Tanti Robert, who led a team to carry a research in the district said, the figures from the health director might be a tip of an iceberg as most of these children fail to seek proper medical care in accredited facilities.

"The Medaakye Nti project has come at the right time, we have conducted research in the district, among others things, we asked them teenage girls about contraceptives, how they keep themselves clean during their menstrual period and it will marvel you to know most of these girls accept proposals from men so they can buy them sanitary pads when the need arises, also most parents don't educate their children about sex, these and a variety of other issues are what causes teenage pregnancy in the district and with these causes in mind, with most of the victim choosing traditional medicine over accredited health facilities, the numbers reported by the health director may be a peanut", Mr Tanti concluded.

Gyaasoahene OF Edubiase Divisional Council, Nana Kyei Baffour Boadu, who was visibly furious queried why Ghanaians have imported western culture into ours neglecting our age-long traditions.

"The numbers reported by the health director is really alarming and disturbing and it's mostly reported from the villages where poverty is prevalent and as such I'm calling on parents to take good care of their children, however, I'm disappointed in Ghanaians for importing foreign cultures into ours. In the olden days, there was nothing as child right and children were disciplined by their parents and teachers but today because of so-called child rights, we're unable to discipline as we should, Child right is becoming too much in this country", he concluded.

The 'Medaakye Nti' project will be rolled out soon to check teenage pregnancy in the district, something that's fast eating up the great future of the Adansi south girl child.