Education executive director Sanet Steenkamp says one pregnant teenager is one too many.
She was responding to about 147 teenagers getting pregnant in the Zambezi region in one term.
Steenkamp is concerned about the 147 teenage pregnancies reported in the region during the first term of this year.
Regional statistics show that the youngest girl out of these cases is 14 years old.
Steenkamp said pregnancy negatively impacts girls’ education.
“The education of any girl who gets pregnant is cut off, because automatically, her priority becomes her child. This perpetuates the poverty cycle for our children, because it’s difficult for them to return to school.
“It is only when parents are really involved and supportive that the child will be able to return to school. These 147 cases of teenage pregnancy in the Zambezi region are not the only concerning ones, as it’s a countrywide challenge,” she said.
Between 2021 and 2023, the country recorded about 7 454 teenage pregnancies.
The issue requires a multisectoral approach, Steenkamp said.
“It’s a huge concern, as these statistics do not correlate with the antenatal clinic statistics from hospitals, as our statistics are higher,” she said.
She said it is high time parents and traditional leaders start having uncomfortable conversations with girls on menstrual health and pregnancy.
In a menstrual health and hygiene management research published in 2022, it was found that 30% of girls are not educated on menstruation until they menstruate, because their parents or guardians do not discuss this with them.
“If a girl does not know anything about menstruation, then they would not know about the consequences of having unprotected sex. We also found that there is a lot of correlation between lack of knowledge and pregnancy.
“Furthermore, we also found that most of the girls before the age of 14 are already sexually active, however, there are those who were subjected to non-consensual sex,” she said.
Steenkamp said the ministry is busy developing and translating educational materials for children with visual and intellectual impairments.
The ministry is also in the process of doing a global school-based student health survey.
“We have done a lot of interventions over the past 10 years. We have our own school health research network that we started with the University of Namibia.
“We also have advocacy programmes for church and traditional leaders to strengthen school-based advocacy so that they understand what it is that we want to address.
“Furthermore, we have strengthened our school-based referral system so they can get the help they need faster. We have also strengthened the effectiveness of our life skills teachers,” she said.
Zambezi regional deputy director of education Norah Munembo during an educator engagement last week confirmed that the pregnancy rate in the region has increased.
A total of 77 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the region last year, which now stands at 147 in the first term only.
“These cases are too many for one term. The lack of parental supervision is a contributing factor to these cases, as these children are free to engage in anything, such as marital affairs,” she said.
Read more: 147 teens pregnant in Zambezi in first term
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