Volta region: 676 school girls got pregnant during heat of Covid-19 fight

A report by the Ghana Education Service (GES) has shown that 676 school girls in the Volta Region got pregnant during the heat of Ghana’s fight against, spanning March to September.

Of the figure, 176 of the pregnancies were recorded among primary pupils, 325 in Junior High (JHS), and 175 in Senior High School (SHS).

A total of 285 nursing mothers are also recorded to be in school, the majority in the JHS and SHS.

Keta recorded the highest pregnancies with 92 cases, followed by Hohoe with 86.

Ketu South came third with 82 pregnancies.

The Volta Regional Guide Coordinator of the GES, Gideon Tsawodzi, revealed the data at a meeting of the Volta Regional Child Protection Committee.

He described the situation as endemic, adding that late admission to school had been identified as the primary cause.

According to him, gaps in guidance and counseling also remained a key factor.

He said communities had also become sexually promiscuous and were not able to safeguard the sexual rights of the girl-child.

Regional Girls Officer with the GES, Millicent Dakeh, warned that the figures could be higher, as schools were not in session and some girls had left their localities during the survey.