Namibia: Rural areas account for 66% of teenage pregnancies
A report from Namibia's Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture indicates that approximately 66% of teenage pregnancies occur in rural areas. The report also highlights that young mothers in rural communities are less likely to return to school compared to their urban counterparts, with reintegration challenges particularly noted in the Kunene and Ohangwena regions. Executive director Erastus Haitengela stated that most affected pupils were aged 16 to 20, primarily in Grades 8 to 12. The report shows a decline in pupil pregnancy rates from 1.97% in 2022 to 1.34% in 2024. Concurrently, the proportion of pupil mothers returning to school increased from 51.5% to 53.9% in 2024. In 2024, 1,662 pupils, including 1,648 girls and 14 boys, left school due to pregnancy-related reasons. Ohangwena region recorded the highest number of such cases with 315. Factors contributing to pupil pregnancy include poverty, peer pressure, transactional relationships, substance abuse, unequal gender relations, and limited access to contraception and sexual and reproductive health information. Long distances to schools, inadequate hostel facilities, and inappropriate relationships between adults and pupils were also identified. The ministry emphasizes that pregnant pupils have the right to continue their education without discrimination and should receive counselling and psychosocial support. Preventing teenage pregnancy also requires the active involvement of boys and men in
