The Department of Social Development plans to host a teenage pregnancy stakeholder engagement in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
Figures show that KwaZulu-Natal has recorded the highest percentage of teenage pregnancies compared to other provinces.
Statistics South Africa’s report titled Recorded Live Birth shows that 4 013 birth registrations were recorded for young mothers aged between 10 and 14 years in 2020.
The Adolescent and Youth Health Policy, which aims to promote the health and wellbeing of young people, has revealed that during the financial year 2020/21, 182 children in that age group got pregnant in KwaZulu-Natal. Seventeen of them were from the Zululand district municipality.
The department, in conjunction with the Department of Basic Education, Health Department, the SA Police Service, and the traditional leaders would evaluate the province’s child protection system and early intervention programmes in an attempt to prevent incidents of teenage pregnancy.
They will also engage with the parents and children from the Ulundi district, targeting those who are mainly affected by teenage pregnancy.
The stakeholder engagement, which is a build-up to this year’s Child Protection Week campaign, is a continuation of discussions held recently at Ingquza-Hill local municipality in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape.
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