Recent statistics from the Eastern Cape Department of Health have highlighted a troubling trend: 4,000 teenage girls have given birth in the province since April this year. The exact number reported is 4,055 births at public health facilities, with a significant portion involving very young girls.
Of these births, 3,961 were girls aged between 15 and 19 years, while 94 were between 10 and 14 years old. Eastern Cape Health spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase noted that the girls reported being impregnated by boys of their own age. He attributed several contributing factors to the surge in teenage pregnancies, including inadequate parental supervision, lack of comprehensive sexual education, alcohol abuse, peer pressure, and gender-based violence.
Nationally, between April 2023 and March 2024, a total of 2,716 girls aged 10-14 and 119,586 girls aged 15-19 gave birth across South Africa. In addition, 1,226 girls aged 10-14 and 19,246 girls aged 15-19 opted for abortions. These statistics reflect only public health facilities and may not capture the full extent of the issue if private facilities are included.
Foster Mohale, National Spokesperson for the Department of Health, highlighted that KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of teenage pregnancies, followed by Gauteng and Limpopo. The full national figures are as follows:
– **Eastern Cape**: 395 (ages 10-14) and 15,827 (ages 15-19)
– **Free State**: 106 (ages 10-14) and 5,395 (ages 15-19)
– **Gauteng**: 430 (ages 10-14) and 19,406 (ages 15-19)
– **KwaZulu-Natal**: 610 (ages 10-14) and 30,478 (ages 15-19)
– **Limpopo**: 375 (ages 10-14) and 16,262 (ages 15-19)
– **Mpumalanga**: 293 (ages 10-14) and 11,534 (ages 15-19)
– **Northern Cape**: 70 (ages 10-14) and 3,538 (ages 15-19)
– **North West**: 151 (ages 10-14) and 7,525 (ages 15-19)
– **Western Cape**: 286 (ages 10-14) and 9,622 (ages 15-19)
In response to these issues, the Department of Health is implementing Youth Zones to provide dedicated health services for young people, aiming to improve access and support for those in need.
In other news – Tyla shines with double win at Basadi In Music Awards 2024
South African superstar Tyla has achieved a notable milestone at the Basadi In Music Awards 2024, securing two prestigious awards for her breakout single “Water.” The singer was honored with the titles for Highest Airplay and Song of the Year during the event held on Sunday night.
While Tyla did not make a personal announcement about her wins, her fan page took to Twitter to share the exciting news. “Congratulations to @Tyllaaaaaaa, who has won 2 Basadi In Music Awards,” the fan account tweeted. Read More
