THE MECs of health in KZN and the Eastern Cape are concerned about high teenage pregnancies in their provinces.
KZN welcomed 86 newborn babies, while the Eastern Cape had 239 deliveries.
Health MECs Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu’s and Nomakhosazana Meth expressed concern over the rate at which young girls were becoming pregnant.
Simelane-Zulu said although she congratulated the new mothers, it was worrying that most of them were teenagers.
“We can’t turn a blind eye to this trend, which sees many youngsters throwing their future away. We noticed that when we engaged these teenage mothers, we discovered the fathers were the same age,” she said.
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Simelane-Zulu called on parents to talk to their children so they would understand the consequences of teenage pregnancy.
She said it was worrying that the youngest mother in KZN was 15, which meant she fell pregnant at 14.
She said two other mothers were 16 and one of them was impregnated by a 23-year-old.
“From where we are standing, that’s statutory rape and that man needs to be arrested, no stories. Families need to stop taking payment from men who impregnate young girls because this encourages them to continue with this wrong act,” said Simelane-Zulu.
Meth’s concern came as 38 of the 239 babies in the Eastern Cape were delivered by teenagers.
The youngest are three 14 year olds, who gave given birth at Madzikane kaZulu Memorial Hospital, Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, and Empilisweni Hospital.
Meth said: “We want children to focus on getting an education and bettering their lives instead of taking on the lifetime responsibility of being mothers at a young age.”
The MEC called on everyone to play their part in ending teenage pregnancy, saying where abuse was suspected, authorities should be notified.
