A total of 259 teenage pregnancies were recorded between January to June this year in the Sunyani West District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

Out of the number 109 had normal deliveries while 150 underwent caesarean section, and 455 teenagers accessed family planning services.

Madam Eva Aryee, Sunyani West District Director of Health Service announced this at a durbar on Family Planning and Adolescent Health at Kwabenakuma and Addae- Boreso in the District.

It was sponsored by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to encourage family planning utilization in the communities.

The District was among five beneficiary districts selected by UNFPA for the family planning education to reduce maternal mortality.

Madam Aryee expressed concern about the low utilization of family planning services in the communities despite the educational measures instituted.

She said that family planning helped to prevent pregnancy- related health risk in women, reduce unsafe abortion, infant mortality and prevent HIV infections.

“Slowing population growth, empowering people and enhancing education and reducing adolescent pregnancies are some of the benefits of family planning,” she said.

Madam Aryee stressed that family planning benefits men as well because it helped them to be more responsibly to their children, take better care of them and help to improve family life.

She explained the various family planning methods including the short term, long term and permanent or irreversible to the people and advised them especially the women to decide freely on when and how many children to have.

Ms Jane Addae- Kyereme, Sunyani West District Disease Control Officer, educated them on cholera and its prevention.

She said proper hand washing with soap, keeping surroundings clean, drainage of stagnant waters, eating food warm and boiling water before drinking were some of the measures to ensure the prevention of cholera.

Ms Addae-Kyereme advised the people to send infected persons to the health post for treatment during an outbreak.