The Eastern Regional Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr Moses Barima Djimatey, says adolescent pregnancy and child marriage are public health and development challenges that affect the entire population and require urgent attention.

“With every child bride, we lose a future teacher, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur or political leader, and the cost to all of us is tremendous,” he said.

He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that adolescent pregnancy has devastating health consequences for girls, with effects that ripple across generations, particularly in broken homes.

Adolescent pregnancy refers to pregnancy in girls aged 10 to 19 years, while child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union involving a person under 18 years and an adult or another child.

He said pregnant adolescents face a higher risk of maternal and infant mortality. They are also denied the right to pursue education, employment or entrepreneurial opportunities.

When girls are excluded from school and pushed into early marriage, he said, they are unable to gain the knowledge, respect and decision‑making power needed to lead change in their communities.

Regional data show 9,239 adolescent pregnancies were recorded in 2023, compared to 8,638 in 2024.

Dr Djimatey said that although the rate of 11.8 per cent compared to 11.2 per cent shows a slight decline, it remains worrying because “many pregnant girls have not reported to the hospital, making the situation terrible.”

He said the health service has introduced interventions such as access to skilled care for pregnant adolescents and postpartum family planning services for adolescent mothers.

He called on chiefs and religious leaders to intensify community dialogues on harmful norms and to support parents with parenting skills.

He also cautioned parents and guardians who seek to minimise household expenses by marrying young daughters.

He stressed the need for institutions to enforce laws against child marriage to curb the practice.

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