Multidisciplinary approach called to tackle teenage pregnancy

The Weekend View

South Africa has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy globally, with nearly one in four girls falling pregnant before turning 20 years old. This is according to data provided by the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, figures released by the department of health show that more than 2 700 girls, aged between 10 and 14, are now mothers after giving birth at public healthcare facilities across the country during the 2023/24 financial year.1 226 girls in the 10 to 14 age group and 19 246 in the 15 to 19 age group terminated their pregnancies. Calls have been made for urgent action to address alarming rise in teenage pregnancies in South Africa. For more on this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to by Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Letsike, Alexandra Abrahams, DA Deputy Spokesperson on Social Development and Child & Youth Care Practitioner and founder of Ikusasa ngelami Zonke Sazi Hlongwane