Regional News of Friday, 3 March 2023

Source: GNA

Teenage pregnancy declines in Akatsi South Municipality

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GNA-Statistics from the Akatsi South Municipal Health Directorate have revealed that the municipality recorded a slight decrease in teenage pregnancy cases in the year 2022 under review.

The figure saw a total of 301 teenage pregnancy cases in 2022 as opposed to 339 in 2021, representing 12.1 and 13.1 percent, respectively.

Miss Justine Sefakor Alornyo, the Akatsi South Municipal Director of Health, made this disclosure at the Akatsi South Municipal Assembly Hall during the annual health performance review for the year 2022.

Miss Alornyo said the figures remained a worrying factor and that all must join hands to change the narrative, “as it may be girls aged 11 to 14 who are getting pregnant.”

Under supervised delivery, statistics revealed that a decrease of 2005 cases, representing 53.1 percent was recorded in 2022 as against 2265 in 2021, representing 61.8 percent, with improvement in family planning services pegged at 32.2 percent in 2022 compared to 25.7 percent in 2021.

Miss Alornyo added that all the 2005 deliveries that occurred within the municipality were immunised with BCG, Penta, and measles-rubella vaccines.

On Antenatal registrants, a decreased figure of 2465 in 2022 compared to 2587 in 2021 was also recorded.

In a remark, Miss Alornyo called on the Akatsi South Municipal Assembly, other organisations and individuals to help equip the health facilities with resources for their smooth running “since all health facilities in the municipality, including the main hospital, had equipment challenges.”

She outlined some activities carried out by the Directorate over the period, including radio discussion on health issues, community-stakeholder engagement, social mobilisation, collaborative activities, report validation, a celebration of Health Days, training workshops, supportive supervision and monitoring.