Growing incidents of teenage pregnancy and its associated complications such as criminal abortions among teenagers at Old Tafo and nearby communities in Kumasi is becoming a worrying concern for health authorities.

Authorities at the local government hospital say girls, as young as 12 are getting pregnant and resorting to termination of pregnancy because they feel shy to seek ante-natal care at the regular clinics.

Officials say they will need resources as they appeal for funds to set up a special clinic to cater for pregnant teenagers.

Pregnancy- related conditions rank fourth among top 10 morbidity cases recorded at the Tafo Government Hospital, last year.

The hospital which currently serves over 68 communities with about 334, 102 people has one of the biggest Ante Natal Clinics in terms of numbers

Out of over 125, 500 out-patient attendance, 5, 307 were pregnancy related.

 Health authorities blame increasing population, lack of parental control and economic challenges for the trend.

“We have teenage pregnancy as young as 12 years. It is very common   and they are related to social-economical crises and they are facing a lot of challenges and stigmatization. It is terrible”, Medical Superintendent at the Tafo Government Hospital, Dr. Annie Opoku has said.

Dr (Mrs) Opoku tells Nhyira FM for fear of being stigmatized and marginalized, many teenagers skip regular antenatal clinics where they attend with adults some of whom are older as their mothers.

“We want to put them in a special teenage ‘ANC’ so we are planning to put a 200-seat and after that we can work every day intensively and special day for teenage”.

She fears more teenagers could be exposed to danger from complications as they stay away from the clinic for fear of stigmatization.

“When they fail to follow normal attendance, complications like difficult delivery, anemia and they may induce themselves criminal abortions. There are so many”. Said Dr. Annie Opoku.

With counseling and other family planning education activities, health officials hope to change the lifestyle of many teenagers and ensure they stay out of such situation.