Knowledge, Care, Support Bring Hope to Pregnant Girls in Africa

Teenage pregnancies in many African countries increased during lockdowns and school closures during Covid-19. Human Rights Watch in a report, said that in nearly one-third of African countries, young girls who are pregnant face significant legal and policy barriers to continuing their formal education. But most African governments, now protect education access through laws, policies, or measures for pregnant students or adolescent mothers.

In Zimbabwe, in light of the huge burden of teen pregnancies, Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) started the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) project in 2015 in the Mbare suburb of Harare. The project provides a full and free SRH package that is adolescent-friendly and includes access to HIV testing, sexuality education, counselling, and access to contraception and sexually transmitted infection treatment. The Teen Mum's Club builds vulnerable young girls' sexual reproductive health knowledge, medical care, and psychosocial skills, while also building girls' confidence. 

In 2021, Tanzanian teenage girls who were pregnant and who were stopped from returning to school were allowed back in a new policy shift by President Samia Suluhu's administration.