Johannesburg – IFP KwaZulu-Natal provincial spokesperson on Health, Ncamisile Nkwanyana, has said that she is concerned with teenage pregnancies in the province after a 15-year-old gave birth on New Year’s Day.
She said that urgent action was needed to address the high rate of teenage pregnancies. Stats SA revealed early last year that over 83 000 children were born in South Africa during the 2019/20 fiscal year.
"KwaZulu-Natal registered 18 550 births by children aged 10 to 17 years during the same period. The IFP calls for increased awareness among the public about family planning methods and abstinence.
“In addition, men need to feature more prominently when it comes to sharing family planning responsibility," she said.
She said that this was just the tip of the iceberg. The party is of the firm view that reducing teenage pregnancies should be on the national agenda.
"It is disturbing to come across an adolescent girl experiencing motherhood at a time when her main concerns should be far less demanding than those of raising another human being. The sad reality is that every year, more and more teens are transitioning into motherhood prematurely," said Nkwanyana.
Nkwanyana said there was a need for inter-departmental collaboration among the departments of Social Development, Health, and Education in order to educate, empower, and create awareness among the youth about the downsides of unplanned parenthood.
"Furthermore, the IFP demands that anyone who is preying on and impregnating underage girls be arrested. This includes any parents, guardians, or caregivers who ‘sell’ their children to sugar daddies for the exchange of groceries, money, and gifts. (They) must be arrested," she said.
The Star