Teenage Pregnancy In West Nile Shock Dr. Atwine.

 

The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine Has shown concern over the high rate of teenage pregnancies in  West Nile.

"The level of teenage pregnancy in Westnile region is notably sad. I was shocked to find all these girls, below 17years filling the waiting desk at the antenatal unit of one of the facilities. Many of these girls end up dropping out of school and will not get a chance to go back. Many of these don’t"- Atwine via X-Platform.

Generally, in Pakwach District, teenage pregnancy rates are higher (22.4%), as reflected in the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2016 [8], Although this is the aggregate statistic for all the West Nile districts and not only for Pakwach district, it is still very high.

Teens, in general, have a higher risk of preterm birth, which often goes along with low birth weight. Teens may also be in danger of not receiving the right amount of nutrients (such as in prenatal vitamins) during pregnancy.