An estimated 361 schoolgirls in Wa West District aged 10 to 19 years got pregnant within the first nine months of 2019, Mr Edward K. Beyereh, the District Health Promotion Officer, has said.
Five, out of the girls who got pregnant between January and September and have since dropped out of school, are from the ages of 10 to 14 years.
The remaining 356 of the teenagers are from ages 15 to 19 years old.
Mr Beyereh who made this known during this year’s International Day of the girl child in Wa West District capital, Wechiau, said there was an upsurge in the rate of teenage pregnancy from 17.5 percent last year to 18.1 percent in 2019.
“This indicates that there is the need for various stakeholders to come together to fight against the danger that our teenage girls are facing,” he added.
The development has raised concerns among female education campaigners, but the Ghana Health Service has said it was collaborating with various stakeholders, informing adolescent groups in schools, to stem the tide.
Camfed Aluminae Association – CAMA Ghana, called for the need to respect the human rights of girls and help remove barriers challenging their successful progression in society.
The Association also urged stakeholders and female education campaigners to double efforts aimed at eradicating teenage pregnancy in the local communities where the phenomenon is rife.
