Between January and May 2025, 2,436 adolescent pregnancies were reported in the Upper East Region, reigniting public concerns about the future, health, and welfare of adolescent females in the area.
Of the total, 2,411 incidents were females between the ages of 15 and 19, while 25 cases involved children between the ages of 10 and 14.
Review session
At a regional review meeting on the Essential Services Package (ESP) for women and girls who have experienced violence, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) provided data that included this information.
Stakeholders from the GHS, Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Police Service's Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), Legal Aid Commission, Department of Social Welfare, Judiciary Service, and Civil Society Organisations attended the meeting, which was organised by the Department of Gender with assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The purpose of the conference was to increase coordination among service providers, identify gaps in service provision, and assess progress made under the ESP, a framework for service providers to coordinate efforts to help survivors of gender-based violence.
Breakdown by district
With 372 occurrences, Bawku West District had the most, according to the report. Pusiga (276), Bongo (212), Talensi (210), Kassena Nankana West (198), Kassena Nankana Municipal (196), and Bolgatanga Municipal (152) were next in line.
Bolgatanga East had the fewest instances (52), followed by Bawku Municipal (147), Tempane (123), Garu (118), Builsa South (116), Nabdam (100), Binduri (86), and Builsa North (78).
about pattern
Ms. Charity Tanni, the Regional Health Directorate's Health Information Officer, presented the statistics and called the trend concerning, stating that it has to be addressed immediately in order to protect teenage girls' future.
In order to avoid teenage pregnancies, which often led to school dropout, poor maternal health, and future financial difficulties for the girls involved, she urged for group activities.
Police and court frustrations
According to Mr. James Akandi, the registrar of the Bolgatanga Circuit Court, 14 of the 24 cases involving gender-based violence that are now pending in the court are defilement cases.
However, he bemoaned the fact that a lot of the cases drag on because of a lack of resources and witnesses who don't show up for court.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mariam Awemoni, the Regional DOVVSU Coordinator, also criticised the lack of cooperation between her office and district-level DOVVSU units, claiming that it impedes proper data gathering as well as case monitoring.
"The district units report to the District Commander, who reports directly to the national level, so we are unable to obtain data from the districts on cases and their progress unless a case is reported directly to us," she said.
An appeal for action
James Twene, the Department of Gender's interim Regional Director, emphasised the significance of institutional cooperation, appropriate data management, and prompt case follow-up to guarantee survivors obtain protection and justice.
In her statement, Yvonne Wonchua, the UNFPA Focal Person at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, urged all ESP stakeholders to collaborate in order to mobilise resources, improve infrastructure, and provide psycho-social assistance for victims of violence.
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