Child rights groups have called on the government to review its programmes aimed at addressing alarming teenage pregnancy rates, with 2 716 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years old giving birth at health facilities across the country in the last year.
The national Health Department confirmed that 122 302 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 became mothers between April 2023 and March 2024.
Of this number, 119 586 pregnancies were girls between 15 and 19 years old.
KwaZulu-Natal reported the highest number of teen pregnancies in the last year with 30 478 in the 15-19 age group and 610 in the 10-14 age group.
Other provinces also saw thousands of young girls aged 14 to 19 give birth over the same period. The Western Cape recorded 9 622 teenage pregnancies, Gauteng 19 406, Limpopo 16 262, the Eastern Cape 15 827, Mpumalanga 11 534, North West 7 525, the Free State 5 395 and the Northern Cape 3 538.
In the 10 to 14-year age group the Western Cape recorded 286 births, Gauteng 430, the Eastern Cape 395, Limpopo 375, Mpumalanga 293, North West 151, the Free State 106 and the Northern Cape 70.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department has introduced a number of interventions including more than 1 000 Youth Friendly Zones in primary health facilities or public clinics across the country.
These were to create an enabling environment for young people, girls in particular, to access sexual and reproductive health services without feeling judged.
“The Department of Social Development (DSD) has developed a programme called YOLO targeting young people aged between 15 and 24 years for the reduction of HIV infections and teenage and unplanned pregnancies,” Mohale said.
Provincial Social Development spokesperson, Esther Lewis, said that teenagers who display various at-risk behaviours are referred to DSD by other departments, non-profit organisations and parents/family members.
“Based on the outcome of their assessment by a social service professional, they will be given the appropriate support.
“If teenagers become pregnant, they can reach out to the department for counselling, or mediation services for themselves and their families, if necessary.
“They can also access parenting programmes and family preservation programmes, should they decide to keep the child.
“Options such as adoption or placing the child in alternative care can also be discussed with either social workers or at their healthcare facility,” said Lewis.
Department of Basic Education (DBE) spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said that they had a policy that came into effect in 2022 that addresses teenage pregnancy.
Under the section prevention, the policy stated: “Learners in the Basic Education system must have access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information and skills, accurate knowledge about delayed sexual debut, abstinence and contraception, and information about the role of gender and power in relationships, in order to make informed life choices and help protect them from unintended pregnancy.”
However, child right groups said the policies and interventions were good on paper but did not address the root causes of the issue.
Hope for the Future founder Vanessa Sauls said government initiatives were “out of touch” with the reality on the ground.
Following the launch of their programme, “Girls Before Violence” they were alarmed by the high levels of sexual violence experienced by primary school girls at the hands of male family members, she said.
“The government should be asking, what are they doing wrong.
“So many girls are experiencing sexual abuse in the home.
“So for example from the moment a teenager steps into a health facility pregnant because she is underage there needs to be an investigation.
“They need to be sent to a Thuthuzela Care Centre.
“They (the government) are not on the ground, so they are not able to measure their success or failures, they are far removed from the people they serve.
“There is a lack of programmes in our schools; the ones they implement are often not effective and when we want to run a programme, they have so much red tape,” said Sauls.
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said that persistently high rates of teenage pregnancy were deeply interconnected with socio-economic challenges, inadequate sexual education and limited access to reproductive health services.
“Importantly, these statistics are also a reflection of a more pervasive issue: the prevalence of rape culture in our communities and schools.
“This harmful culture normalises and perpetuates sexual violence, significantly contributing to the high rates of teenage pregnancies.
“Despite various government policies aimed at addressing teenage pregnancy, the persistent high statistics suggest that these efforts may not fully address the root causes. To effectively address teenage pregnancy, a comprehensive approach is needed. Combating rape culture is crucial – this involves challenging harmful societal norms, providing education on consent, and ensuring safe spaces for young people to report abuse.
“Enhancing comprehensive sexual education, strengthening community support systems, and improving access to reproductive health services are essential,” Monakali said.
Cape Times