Talatona -The Director of the Luanda Provincial Health Office, Manuel Varela said on Friday that Angola remains among the countries with the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the world.
For every thousand pregnancies, 112 occur in girls between the ages of 15 and 19, which puts the country above the average for sub-Saharan Africa, according to data from the World Health Organization.
Speaking at the opening of the first workshop of the Kilamba Kiaxi Specialized General Hospital in Luanda, on the theme 'Impact of Teenage Pregnancy, A Multidisciplinary View', he considered this a public health concern, adding that the significantly high rates contribute to school dropouts, poverty, violence and social exclusion among young people.
He explained that the situation is influenced by factors such as lack of access to sex education and health services, stressing that these factors have been the target of campaigns and public policies to combat them, with a focus on prevention and promoting opportunities for adolescents.
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'This reality leads us to reflect deeply on the present and future of our communities. We are a young, fearless nation committed to development in all areas, and we must continue to take preventive measures to reduce the impact of social phenomena such as teenage pregnancy,' he said.
He warned that the country's new political and administrative division will result in a reduction in the number of health facilities in Luanda province, from 183 to 108, including two general hospitals, three specialised general hospitals, seven municipal hospitals, 71 health centres and 25 health posts.
For the official, this new political-administrative paradigm poses numerous challenges for the health sector, as Angola's constitutional pillars determine health as a fundamental right.
In this context, the different health professional classes are challenged to produce, update and improve knowledge and techniques capable of responding to local, regional, continental and global social phenomena.
The director-general of the Kilamba Kiaxi Specialised Hospital, Nazaré Jerónimo, reported that from June 2024 to June 2025, a total of 1,800 pregnant adolescents were registered at the hospital and that an average of 12 girls are treated daily.
Nazaré Jerónimo explained that the hospital has been offering special consultations for adolescents in the afternoon to avoid embarrassment, as this is a group that is often discriminated against and neglected by their own families.
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She appealed to parents to engage in dialogue early on, without taboos, overcoming the difficulties of talking about sexuality and family planning.
The meeting discussed the profile of pregnant adolescents treated at the hospital, teenage pregnancy, physical development and obstetric risk, strategies for preventing teenage pregnancy and sex education, aspects of care for newborns of teenage mothers, among other topics.
The activity was attended by the directors of hospitals in the province of Luanda, municipal hospitals and municipal health directors of Luanda, pregnant adolescents and other entities. MAG/DAN/AMP
