Despite several efforts by the government and NGOs to stop the problem, teen pregnancy is on the rise in the Suhum Municipality, according to Madam Magret Darko, the municipal chief executive.
In the Suhum Municipality in the Eastern Region, she said that a recent research by the Ghana Health Service, Social Welfare, and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) revealed that young girls’ love of indomie and mobile money (MoMo) is the primary cause of teenage pregnancy.
The study also revealed that social media addiction was a significant contributor to the problem.
Teenage girls allegedly permitted guys to sleep with them so they could easily access their phones and take images and posts on social media. This is according to the Suhum MCE.
The MCE continued, “If a man could merely buy indomie for them at night and send a token to their MoMo more frequently, the young females would readily give in sex.”
The goal of the study was to pinpoint and offer remedies for COVID-19’s detrimental effects on adolescent girls and women over the previous two years.
At the third general meeting of the Suhum Assembly, the research results the Mce proposed were presented.
In an interview with Accra Fm news reporter Apelete Kofi-Michel, Hon. Margeret Darko, the MCE, mentioned that teenage pregnancies in Suhum Municipality have remained concerning over the years.
Teenage girls’ most common reason for dropping out of school is becoming a parent.
More than 50% of teen mothers drop out of high school, and over 25% of teen mothers, particularly in rural areas, have a second child within 24 months after the first.
In order to safeguard their children’s future wellbeing, she recommended parents to look after them and make sure they receive a solid education.