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Over 1,500 girls aged 10-14 impregnated between January to July -GHS
At least 1,501 girls aged 10 to 14 years got pregnant between January and July this year, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has disclosed.
The figure forms part of 53,415 adolescent pregnancies recorded at health facilities nationwide over the period.
The Adolescent Health and Development Programme Manager of the GHS, Ms Sharifa Mohammed, disclosed this at a national multi-sectoral dialogue on reducing teenage pregnancy in Accra on Tuesday.
On the theme: ‘Strengthening multisectoral action and accountability to prevent teenage pregnancy and protect adolescent futures in Ghana,’ the dialogue was organised by MSI Reproductive Choices Ghana (MSIG) in collaboration with UNFPA.
It sought to examine the current teenage pregnancy landscape and strengthen practical solutions, accountability and multisectoral collaboration for improved adolescent health and wellbeing.
According to Ms Mohammed, records show that adolescent pregnancies increased with age, with girls 18 to 19 years recording higher rates.
The Savannah Region, for instance, recorded an adolescent birth rate of about 117 births per 1,000 young women, placing it above the sub-Saharan African average of 104 per 1,000 births with some districts even recording substantially higher rates.
“Bole District in the Savannah region for instance recorded 230 births per 1000 among girls aged 18 to 19 years. The Upper East region recorded more than 2,400 adolescent pregnancies within the first five months of the year including 520 cases in the Bongo District alone,” she disclosed.
The programme manager noted that education was a key factor in curbing adolescent pregnancies, saying available evidence showed that girls who remained in school were less likely to become pregnant than those who were out of school.
She said, since 2017 the GHS had implemented “safety net” interventions for pregnant adolescents, providing maternal and child health services, health education, psychosocial support, referrals to social protection services and follow-up care.
As part of the intervention, pregnant girls who want to return to school Ms Mohammed said, were linked with relevant education authorities and schools although admitting that practical challenges, including classroom conditions and the physical needs of pregnant students could sometimes prevent them from remaining in school.
Beyond education, she said girls who could not return to school were also linked to civil society organisations and other services for vocational training and social support.
She urged stakeholders working in adolescent health to strengthen collaboration and direct resources to areas where the burden of adolescent pregnancy was highest.
The Programme Manager for MSI Reproductive Choices Ghana (MSIG), Clara Nyarkoah Anim, expressed the need to place the voices and needs of young people at the core of interventions noting that “they understand the realities that face them more, the barriers and opportunities in ways that cannot always be captured in policies and documents.”
BY Abigail Annoh
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
