The office of the district community development officer in Bukedea district has registered over one thousand teenage girl pregnant since the second lock down was imposed by the government.
The girls were seeking for antenatal care at Kachumbala County in the period since the 42 lock down was announced. Uganda has the highest teenage pregnancy in the east Arican region and the figures could be double after the pandemic.
Marion Akwap the district community development officer says in the second lock down, they have registered a total of 1,024 teenage girls seeking antenatal care service in Kachumbala health center III.
Akwap also added that in month of June over 136 teenage births were registered while some others give birth from various clinics.
Geoffrey Okiswa the resident district commissioner Bukedea who is the chairperson Covid-19 task force says the cause of alarming child pregnancies is due to lack of community sensitization and Hence, the sub county and village task forces will be engaged to educate young girls on dangers of early pregnancies amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are educating people about the virus but now as a task force we are to begin educating young girls on the dangers of early pregnancies”, said Okiswa.
Okiswa added that educating young people about the dangers of early child pregnancies will help to fight poverty in the community.
Stephen Ikodet, the district health officer Bukedea says the rate of teenage pregnancies is alarming in the district since most of the parents fail to play the vital role on their children.