More than 600 students in the Volta Region have been impregnated since Ghana recorded her first two COVID-19 cases in mid-March 2020.
This was disclosed at the Volta Regional Children Protection Committee (RCPC) Reactivation Workshop held in the regional capital, Ho, on Tuesday, 10 November 2020.
Addressing the workshop, the Regional Guidance and Counselling Coordinator of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Gideon Tsawodzi, noted that: “During the period, Adaklu District: primary school – 1 pregnancy, JHS – 1 pregnancy, SHS – 1, so, the total number of pregnancies recorded in Adaklu is 3.
“When we move to the other side, we have nursing mothers in schools, so, children who have given birth and come to school. In the primary schools, we have 1; in junior high schools, we have 12; in senior high schools, we have 1. So, we have a total of 14 nursing mothers in Adaklu District.
“Then, we go to Agotime-Ziope, in the primary schools, they recorded 0 pregnancy, junior high schools recorded 6, senior high schools – 3. So, we have a total of 9.
“When we go to nursing mothers in school; primary schools, we recorded 0, in junior high schools we have 2 nursing mothers and in senior high school – 1.
“We move to Ho, the centre: primary schools, we have 0, junior high schools, we recorded 14; senior high schools – 7. We have a total of 21 pregnancies in our schools.
“Return to school or nursing mothers: primary schools 0, junior high schools 10, senior high schools 6; a total of 16 nursing mothers in our schools.
“Then, we go to Afadjato South: 0 in primary schools, 13 in junior high schools, 9 in senior high schools; a total of 22 and nursing mothers in school follow in that order.
“In Hohoe, we recorded 18 pregnancies in primary schools, 41 in JHSs; 37 in SHSs, and a total of 86 in Hohoe Municipality during COVID-19”.
He continued: “Also, at Akatsi North, a total of 8 cases was recorded with no case of pregnancy recorded at the primary school level. The JHSs recorded 6 while the SHSs recorded 2.
“At Akatsi South, there was no case of pregnancy at the primary level, 10 cases were recorded in JHSs,” the GES Guidance and Counselling Coordinator explained but noted that they did not get the data for Senior High Schools.
“Then, we go to South Tongu: we have 4 in primary schools, 27 in JHSs; 12 in SHSs; a total of 43 pregnancies recorded.
“North Tongu: we have 7 in primary schools, 12 in JHSs; 10 in SHSs; a total of 29.
“Central Tongu: 3 in primary schools, 11 in JHSs; 2 in SHSs; a total of 16,” Mr Tsawodzi stated.
According to the data, the Keta Municipality recorded the highest number of pregnancy cases, with 18 in primary schools, 32 in JHSs, 42 in SHSs making a total of 92 pregnancies while Anloga recorded 5 in primary schools, 12 in JHSs and 5 in SHSs.
The Regional Guidance and Counselling Coordinator emphasised the need for parents to send their wards to school at an early age to avoid recording incidents of pregnancy at the primary school level.
He said: “So, briefly, this is the pregnancy issue in our Volta Region during COVID-19”.
“When we look at the data, we see that the pregnancy issue is endemic in JHSs than in Senior High Schools.
“In some districts, we shouldn’t have recorded pregnancies in primary schools at all but because of late admissions. Under normal circumstances, children, by 6 years, should be in P1. If that is followed, it will be difficult for us to record pregnancy in primary schools but at times, children as old as 15 are in primary school,” Mr Tsawodzi added.