Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has issued a stark warning, describing the relentless rise in teenage pregnancies as a critical issue demanding urgent national intervention.
His concern follows the revelation that more than 30 teenagers were among the over 1, 600 women who gave birth on Christmas Day, a seasonal snapshot of a devastating year-long trend.
Motsoaledi revealed that over 1e million babies were born to young girls this year alone, lamenting the stolen futures and systematic failures that perpetuate the cycle.
Protect girls from exploitation
He called for a concerted effort from government, communities, and families. He urged them to protect girls from exploitation and empower them to build their futures.
Motsoaledi pointed out that even though the country was celebrating the arrival of new babies last week, he was very worried that teenage pregnancy was still on the rise.
More than 30 teenage girls gave birth among women who delivered during Christmas.
Motsoaledi said that it was not only a concern that teenagers fall pregnant and give birth on Christmas. It was but a serious issue that this happens all year long.
The minister stated that at least more than 1 million babies were born this year only. Among the women who gave birth were young girls. And the minister pointed out that there should be a better way to deal with this crisis.
Family planning
“As the department we are very worried about teenage pregnancy. And we have been talking about this for ages. We have also provided plans to prevent teenage pregnancy through family planning. [In this way] young girls can avoid falling pregnant, and we even activated campaigns to promote safe sex. We even urge parents and guardians to also play a role towards educating their children about the consequences of unsafe sex,” said Motsoaledi.
The minister also said that it is a difficult task for families to police their children, especially girls. And he said the real problem starts when these young girls start being sexually active.
Men as part of the problem
Motsoaledi also put the blame on men who take advantage of young girls. He stated that they should act responsibly and stop impregnating young girls. This as they are not even in matured enough to make the right decisions about their bodies.
“We have a serious problem that needs attention from government, society and rights groups. It pains me to see young girls who have bright futures finding themselves having to drop out of school due to pregnancy. It is a sad situation, and the sad reality we are faced with. Parents need to take firm action against their kids to focus on their future. And to avoid men who impregnate them and run away,” said Motsoaledi.
