KABALE DISTRICT OVERWHELMED BY TEENAGE PREGNANCY

By GrantAhumuza

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale—

Kabale District authorities are concerned about the rising number of teenage pregnancies.

Besigensi Alfred the acting Kabale District Health Officer says 1338 out of 10,310 mothers who delivered in the district last year were teenagers between 15 and 19 years.

He says 1241 out of the 7313 mothers who turned up at various health centers in the same time for postnatal care were teenagers.

 According to Alfred, because most of the teenagers don’t have love for their babies, they don’t provide them with sufficient food, which has led to severe malnutrition.

Alfred says they are overwhelmed by the number of underage girls dropping out of school due to pregnancy.

 He also notes that the increase in teenage pregnancies is caused by poverty in most families in the district, which forces young girls to engage in premarital sex with hungry boys and boda boda riders in an exchange for money.

 In 2017, 1637 out of 10,510 mothers who delivered in the district were teenagers between 10 and 19 years.

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