A seasoned midwife, Mary Azika, has sounded the alarm over the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy in Ghana, warning that the trend poses serious health risks to young girls whose bodies are not biologically ready for childbirth.
Speaking on Breakfast Today on Dreamz FM, Ms. Azika stressed that pregnancy among teenagers often results in severe and life-threatening complications, especially during labour, due to their underdeveloped reproductive systems.
“Even a mature woman carrying pregnancy—it’s not easy. How much more these girls, who are not fully matured?” she questioned. “When they are pregnant, it comes with a lot of problems and complications.”
She explained that while hospitals can sometimes intervene with procedures like Caesarean sections for high-risk teenage mothers, the real danger lies in those who remain at home and fail to attend antenatal clinics.
“Some don’t even come to the facility to have their antenatal care checked. So it’s a major problem,” she lamented.
Her comments follow the Ghana Education Service’s revelation that 38 teenage girls and young mothers are among candidates registered to write the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Upper East Region. According to Regional Examination Coordinator Abraham Giba Adoctor, 17 are nursing mothers while 21 are visibly pregnant.
Ms. Azika called on policymakers and stakeholders to take decisive action to combat the crisis. She advocated for a combination of preventive strategies including raising the legal age for sexual consent and introducing early, comprehensive sex education in schools.
“Sex education does not expose girls to immorality. Rather, it protects them from unsafe sex, early pregnancy, and diseases,” she said, adding that while abstinence is ideal, realistic education on safe sex is essential for those who cannot abstain.
The midwife’s passionate appeal adds to growing calls for a nationwide, coordinated response to the teenage pregnancy crisis, which continues to rob many girls of their childhood, education, and health.
