Data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have disclosed that Ghana recorded 53,415 adolescent pregnancy cases between January and July 2026. Of this number, 1,501 cases involved girls aged 10 to 14.

The figures were disclosed by Sharifa Mohammed, Programme Manager for Adolescent Health and Development at the GHS, during a National Multisectoral Dialogue on the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy in Accra on Monday, September 14.

She said the figures were steadily approaching the national estimate of more than 100,000 adolescent pregnancies recorded each year.

The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) indicated that 15.2 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 had experienced pregnancy. Ms Mohammed said the figures reflected the impact of adolescent pregnancy on girls, noting that it could disrupt their education, affect their health and limit their future opportunities, especially when they did not have access to adequate support.

She noted that girls who were out of school recorded significantly higher rates of adolescent pregnancy than those who were still in school. Programme Manager added, “this is evident that once we keep girls in school, we are bound to reduce adolescent or teenage pregnancies.”According to her the Upper East Region recorded more than 2,400 adolescent pregnancies within the first five months of the year under review, including about 520 cases in the Bongo District alone.

In the Bole District of the Savannah Region, 230 births were recorded per 1,000 girls aged 18 to 19.

Last year, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services (Public Health), Rita Adjoa Ansong, at the Bono Regional Directorate of Health, revealed that the region recorded 14,877 teenage pregnancies between 2021 and 2024.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Sunyani, held as part of activities marking the African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW), Miss Ansong reported that the girls aged between 15 and 19 had a total of 1,188 abortions during the same period.

She noted that in 2021, 3,999 pregnancies and 388 cases of abortion were recorded.4,058 pregnancies and 351 abortions in 2022; 3,492 pregnancies and 217 abortions in 2023; and 3,328 pregnancies and 282 abortions in 2024.

To reduce the alarming figures, Miss Ansong appealed to stakeholders to support initiatives that promote greater Family Planning (FP) access for sexually active teens in the region.According to her, the FP will guide female teenagers in making sexual and reproductive decisions to avoid dropping out of school.The Nursing Director indicated that the key barriers preventing girls and women from exploring various FP methods.

She therefore called for increased community support and a shift away from outdated cultural and religious beliefs.