Eastern Cape schools continue to battle with high numbers of teenage pregnancies, with more than 4,000 girls aged between 10 and 19 having given birth at public healthcare facilities since April 2024.

According to Eastern Cape Health Department spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase, 94 girls in the province between the ages of 10 and 14 have given birth at public health facilities since April, while 3,961 girls and women between the ages of 15 and 19 have given birth during the same period.

The Eastern Cape has faced significant challenges when it comes to teenage pregnancies. Ndamase said the Social Development and Education departments had met with teachers, parents and learners in Alfred Nzo and Ingquza Hill municipalities.

Ndamase said there were several factors contributing to the rates of teenage pregnancy:

"Lack of adequate parental care, support and supervision, lack of factual education around sexual reproductive health, and gender-based violence, especially in areas where there are no hostels ... children are renting in areas where they study and they become victims."

In 2023, Daily Maverick reported that between 2020 and 2023, at least 1,841 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth at public health facilities in the province. Between 2020 and 2022, at least 17,740 teenagers aged 15 to 19 gave birth at state hospitals in the province.

Eastern Cape ranked third...