To combat rising teenage pregnancies and abortions, Gauteng’s Health MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, announced plans for specialized youth centers aimed at providing targeted health services and information. These centers will be tailored to meet the health and educational needs of the youth, serving as safe havens for guidance and services. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to make healthcare more accessible and relevant to young people.
The announcement came during a meeting in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, where Nkomo-Ralehoko and other stakeholders discussed teenage pregnancy. Shocking statistics revealed a rise in the number of pregnancies and terminations among girls aged 10 to 19, with 24,941 cases recorded in 2022/2023, an increase from the previous year’s 24,445.
Stakeholders emphasized the need for community support, enhanced communication between parents and their children, and rigorous sex education programs. The department plans to use a multidisciplinary approach to promote social behavioral changes by providing sexual and reproductive health education both in and out of schools.
Refiloe Gololo, loveLife Gauteng coordinator, cited the absence of school awareness programs during the COVID-19 lockdown as a contributing factor to the increase in pregnancies. Gololo stressed the importance of information and resources in addressing this issue and announced ongoing dialogues to bridge the communication gap between parents and adolescents.
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