The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has recorded 53,415 adolescent pregnancies at health facilities across the country between January and July 2026, with 1,501 cases involving girls aged between 10 and 14.
The figures were obtained from the GHS routine Health Information System and were disclosed by Sharifa Mohammed, Programme Manager for Adolescent Health and Development at the GHS, during a National Multisectoral Dialogue on the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy held in Accra.
According to the data, an average of about 7,000 adolescent pregnancies were recorded at health facilities every month among girls aged 15 to 19 during the seven-month period.
The GHS said the figures are approaching Ghana’s estimated annual burden of more than 100,000 adolescent pregnancies, highlighting the continuing challenge of adolescent pregnancy in the country.
Sharifa Mohammed said behind the statistics were individual girls whose education, health and future opportunities could be affected by pregnancy, particularly when they do not have adequate support.
She also highlighted the connection between school attendance and adolescent pregnancy, noting that pregnancy rates were significantly higher among girls who were out of school compared with those who remained in school.
The regional figures also showed significant differences across the country. The Savannah Region recorded 117.5 births per 1,000 adolescent girls, a rate higher than the reported sub-Saharan African average of 104 births per 1,000.
In the Bole District of the Savannah Region, the rate was even higher, with 230 births per 1,000 girls aged 18 to 19 recorded.
The Upper East Region also recorded more than 2,400 adolescent pregnancies during the first five months of 2026, with approximately 520 cases reported in the Bongo District alone.
The GHS has been implementing measures aimed at addressing the health and social challenges associated with adolescent pregnancy. Since 2017, the Service has operated its “Safety Net” intervention, which provides adolescent girls with maternal and child health services, reproductive health education, psychosocial support and referrals to social protection services.
Under the programme, pregnant adolescents may also receive support to return to school in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, where their health and individual circumstances permit.
Girls who are unable to return to formal education can also be connected with civil society organisations and other services to acquire vocational and livelihood skills.
The GHS said it had reached more than 310,000 young people with sexual and reproductive health information so far this year, while approximately 54,000 pregnant adolescents had received services.
Meanwhile, Clara Nyarkoah Anim, Programme Manager at MSI Reproductive Choices Ghana, said adolescent pregnancy was influenced by several interconnected factors, including education, access to information and services, gender and social norms, and poverty.
She said Ghana already had policies and programmes aimed at addressing the issue but stressed the need for stronger implementation, coordination, adequate resources and accountability.
The stakeholders also called for young people to be placed at the centre of interventions, noting that their experiences and understanding of the challenges they face should inform efforts to reduce adolescent pregnancy.
Source: Thepressradio.com
