By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, June 18, GNA – Health authorities in the Tema Metropolis have expressed concern over persistent adolescent pregnancies despite efforts to expand adolescent-friendly health services across the metropolis.
Data from the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate indicated that adolescents accounted for about five per cent of antenatal care registrants in 2025, with 322 pregnancies recorded among girls aged between 15 and 19 years and 11 pregnant girls aged 10 to 14.
Community-level data also showed variations in adolescent pregnancy cases across the metropolis, with some communities recording increases while others registered declines.
Presenting the data during the 2025 Annual Health Performance Review, Ms Doris Ocansey, the Adolescent Reproductive Health Focal Person for the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, disclosed that approximately one-quarter of the adolescent population in the metropolis was reached with adolescent health services during the year despite logistical constraints.
Ms Ocansey explained that the coverage represented a significant effort considering the operational challenges confronting health workers.
She noted that adolescent pregnancy continued to be one of the key public health concerns in the metropolis and called for a deeper understanding of the factors driving the trend.
According to her, there was a need to identify the peculiar circumstances and social factors contributing to adolescent pregnancies within the Tema Metropolis to enable stakeholders to implement targeted interventions.
She indicated that efforts were underway to address the issue through intensified adolescent health programmes and community-based interventions.
Ms Ocansey stressed that understanding the underlying causes of adolescent pregnancies would help develop appropriate responses tailored to the needs of specific communities.
Meanwhile, data showed that family planning acceptor rates in the metropolis declined from 40.52 per cent in 2022 to 27.86 per cent in 2024 before recording a marginal increase to 31.38 per cent in 2025.
Stakeholders at the health performance review called for intensified public education, stronger youth-focused reproductive health interventions, and improved access to family planning services to help reduce adolescent pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies and improve reproductive health outcomes in the metropolis.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Reporter’s email: [email protected]