The Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, has called on Queen mothers in the region to contribute their quota towards the fight against teenage pregnancy.
Central Region is amongst the regions that are noted for high prevalence of teenage pregnancy.
It is reported that the region is third on the national teenage pregnancy scale.
According to a Ghana Health Service report, 7,558 adolescent girls including a nine-year-old got pregnant in the Central Region in the year 2021, with Assin North topping the list with 16.7 seven percent.
It was followed by Asikuma Odobeng Brakwa and Gomoa West districts as second and third with 16 percent and 15.8 percent respectively.
Speaking to Citi News shortly after an engagement with Queen mothers on how to fight teenage pregnancy in the Central Region, the Regional Minister pledged to get all stakeholders on board to help combat teenage pregnancy in the region.
“The queen mothers have given us the assurance and the leadership of the region are ready to support the fight against teenage pregnancy. We’ll get the MMDCES on board so that all of us will help solve this problem in the region”.
Marigold Assan who was worried about the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy in the Central Region was optimistic her efforts would yield results.
The Central Regional Director for the Department of Social Welfare, Monica Siaw, disclosed that a number of the girls who get pregnant end up abandoning the babies.
The Paramount queen mother of Mankessim Traditional Area, Nana Ama Amissah, promised the commitment of the Queen mothers in the region towards the fight against teenage pregnancy.
“The Minister has challenged us to join hands with her to fight teenage pregnancy in the Central Region. The third position is not good for the region and the queens in particular. We’ve contributed our bid towards the reduction of teenage pregnancy in the region and that we’ve accepted the challenge, and we will do everything in our capacity as Queen mothers to fight it”.
