U/E/R: Teenage pregnancies, defilement and incest high in Nabdam District

The Nabdam District in the Upper East Region has recorded 19 percent teenage pregnancies as of June 2022.

Cases of defilement, incest and rape were high in the district.

This came to light during a multi-stakeholders engagement organized by Rise-Ghana, on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Rights (ASRHR) and Guarding and Protection in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service with funding support from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ghana.

In an interview with our correspondent, the Nabdam District Nutrition Officer Kolgo Timbire Jonas in Nangodi explained that most pregnant girls are anaemic — increasing the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy in the District.

He indicated that results from the Antenatal Care records revealed that 709 women were pregnant. He said, haemoglobin (HB) test was conducted on the blood level on 513 pregnant women during the 36th week and out of that, 258 were anaemic representing 50.3 percent.

Mr. Kolog stated that the worrying trend is that week 36 which is closer to their delivery and the consequences are dire. He further indicated that poor nutrition and eating habits among that adolescent is a contributing factor.

A Project Officer with Rise-Ghana, Ellen Masumba Sa-ambo said Adolescent Reproductive Health Right (ARHR) is being implemented by Rise-Ghana in six districts in the Upper East Region. It include Builsa South, Bawku West, Talensi, Nabdam, Bongo and Kassena Nankana West.

She stated that this year’s project is titled, “Enabling a protective environment for Adolescent Reproductive Health Right, nutrition and Safeguarding.” She noted Rise-Ghana noticed that defilement, incest and rape were common cases in recent times.

She said there was the need to redouble their effort at providing a broad base campaign by bringing on board all the stakeholders and the adolescent to share the knowledge with them, deliberate and come out with solutions for the district medium term development plan.