The Brong Ahafo Public Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has released pregnancy figures, which it says show a significant drop in teenage pregnancies in the region compared to the national average.

Class 91.3FM’s regional correspondent, Emmanuel Debrah, reports that despite the fall in pregnancies in the region, latest figures compiled from January to October by the Service reveal an alarming rate at which young schoolgirls drop out of school as a result of pregnancy.

The region registered a total of 73, 490 expectant mothers at its ante-natal facilities, out of which 10,196 were between 15 and 19-years-old, while 280 were between 10 and 14-years-old.

These figures indicate that girls aged between 10 and 19 account for 14.25% of reported cases, an improvement in adolescent pregnancies over the previous year’s 22% for the region.

At a news conference to launch the Adolescent Health Advocacy Week in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo capital on Wednesday, Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Osei Kuffuor Afreh disclosed that significant progress has been made with a lower number of adolescent pregnancies as compared to the average national figures, but added that more work needed to be done to cut down on the numbers.

“So if last year we had 22% and this year we have done 14.25%, haven’t we improved on adolescent health in terms of pregnancy?” he asked.

He was, however, quick to admit that although the region is doing well, “if you look at it in absolute figures, it may appear quite big”.