Teenage pregnancy increases in Eastern Region

Koforidua, March 18, GNA- The Eastern Region recorded an increase in teenage pregnancies in 2003 from 15.1 per cent in 2002 to 16 per cent.

The region also recorded a drop in supervised deliveries from 73.3 per cent in 2002 to 67.5 per cent last year.

This was disclosed by Mr Isaac Kyere, Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Secretariat of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at a seminar organised for members of the Regional Population Advisory Committee on adolescent sexual and reproductive health on Wednesday at Koforidua.

He explained that the decrease in the number of supervised deliveries could increase the maternal mortality rate of the region. Mr Kyere said the region recorded an increase in maternal mortality ratio of two per 1,000 births in 2002 to 2.6 per 1,000 births last year, while it recorded 2,525 illegal abortion cases.

He said to check the increase in the high mortality rate, the regional secretariat of the GHS is pursuing some measures to mobile all those concerned, including the communities.

Mr Kyere said the region, however, recorded an increase in family planning acceptor rate from 27 per cent in 2002 to 33.4 per cent last year, with the number of couples increasing from 62,719 in 2002 to 72,195 in 2003.

Mr Kofi Abinah, the Eastern Regional Population Officer said family planning must be seen as a developmental tool and not just a means for managing family sizes and family incomes.

He said reports from organisations involved in the implementation of the African Youth Alliance Project (AYA) indicated that many people preferred the male condoms to the female ones and that even women prefer to buy male condoms for their partners.

Mr Victor Mensah of the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), who chaired the seminar, said everything must be done to bring the youth in population and family planning programmes.