Health Department concerns about South Africa's high teen pregnancy rate - SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader.

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Over 100 teenage mothers in South Africa gave birth on Christmas and New Year’s Day this year. This figure from the National Health Department has sounded the alarm for local healthcare authorities.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube in a hospital ward in KZN congratulating mothers who had given birth to 341 New Year's babies on January 1, 2023.KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube in a hospital ward in KZN congratulating mothers who had given birth to 341 New Year's babies on January 1, 2023.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development says teenage pregnancy cannot be viewed as isolation from the challenges of poverty and early school dropouts among pregnant teenagers.Researcher and Gender Based Violence activist at Wits University, Lisa Vetten says there are several complex reasons for the country’s high teenage pregnancy rate.

Vetten elaborates further, “They are not getting proper information. They are not getting the proper kind of set education. That seems to be the major reason contributing to teenage pregnancy. Under COVID-19, there have been additional complications, and that is why we have seen quite a significant increase in teenage pregnancies since about 2020. There have been situations where termination of pregnancies had not been available.

“Our kids are being raised by other kids because if I was pregnant as a teenager and I’m raising a child, how am I going to educate that child? How am I going to raise that child, because I have failed myself? So how am I going to raise the child? We need to sit with our society and remind them what it like is to be a parent. Let us sit with our children, let us talk to them, let us educate them about sex because that is where the problem is now,” adds Ncgobo.

 

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This is happening every day, politicians only show up on Christmas and New year and act surprised.

Nine months and many generations too late but, hey, who cares.

I'm sure the grants play a HUGE role here. The numbers are going down, and that's a good thing, but we should really disincentivize popping kids without being married. 1. Kids need both parents 2. you need almost more than 2 normal incomes to raise a kid ffs.

Sabc, what’s the significance of babies born on the 25 December and 1 January?

The kids are too exposed and the parents also have not done their part so well

Where is sexual education in SA? Where is education about the responsibilities of parents? What is the SA government doing? CyrilRamaphosa what a shame. Not protecting girls. Shame.

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