KZN Health MEC raises concerns over teen pregnancies
Her comments come after seven teenage girls, aged between 15 and 18 years, gave birth on Christmas Day.
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JOHANNESBURG - KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has raised concerns over the number of teenage pregnancies in the province, calling on communities to play their part in combating a rising scourge.
Her comments come after seven teenage girls, aged between 15 and 18 years, gave birth on Christmas Day.
More than 40 Christmas babies were cheerfrully welcomed by the provincial department on Wednesday, with a total of 26 girls and 21 boys successfully delivered.
However, the celebration was tempered when Simelane revealed that the teenage mothers' babies were fathered by young men aged between 19 and 23 years.
Simelane said that this was an issue that needed urgent attention.
"We must also confront some troubling realities. It is highly disturbing that among the mothers giving birth today we have three 15-year-olds. This means these little girls fell pregnant at the age of 14, which is highly unacceptable. As a society, we must stand up and fight this scourge as it robs young girls of their childhood, often forcing them into adulthood too soon."