The Lessons Our Children Cannot Afford To Miss

A Mother talking with her teenage daughter

Between January and July 2026, Ghana recorded 53,415 adolescent pregnancies (GHS 2026). Of these, 1,501 involved girls aged 10 to 14. That is a warning about the thousands of young lives at risk.

Imagine a girl we will call Akosua. She is 14, in JHS 2, and one of the brightest pupils in her class. After school, she sells sachet water to help her mother. A man who buys from her regularly begins giving her money for transport and phone credit. Nobody has explained the risks behind this seemingly generous attention. At school, reproductive health was rushed through in one lesson. A few months later, Akosua becomes pregnant, and her education is interrupted.

Akosua’s story may be imagined, but the circumstances it represents are real for many girls across Ghana. How many more must lose their childhood, education, and opportunities before we take reproductive health education seriously?

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

The Ghana Health Service’s figures translate into thousands of adolescent pregnancies every month. The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey also found that 15.2 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 had experienced at least one pregnancy.

Behind these numbers are girls whose education may be disrupted, whose health may be endangered, and whose families must take on additional financial responsibilities. Many young mothers struggle to return to school because of stigma, childcare costs, and limited support.

The problem is not confined to one region or community. Girls in rural areas may face long distances to school and limited access to information, while those in urban communities may be exposed to exploitation through street trading and other forms of informal work. Poverty, unequal power relations, early marriage, and limited access to reproductive health information can leave adolescents particularly vulnerable.

What Silence Is Costing Us

For many Ghanaian families, sex remains a difficult subject. Children may be told to stay away from boys or avoid relationships, but receive little explanation about puberty, consent, pregnancy, or how to seek help when they feel threatened.

When parents and teachers avoid these conversations, young people do not stop asking questions. They turn to friends, social media and other sources that may provide inaccurate or misleading information. Some become vulnerable to older men who use money, gifts, or promises of support to exploit their circumstances.

The consequences extend beyond individual families. An adolescent who becomes pregnant may struggle to complete her education, limiting her future employment and earning opportunities. Pregnancy can also expose young girls to serious health risks, while fear and stigma may prevent some from seeking timely medical care.

There is also a child-protection concern. Young people who cannot recognise abuse, understand their rights or identify where to report exploitation may remain silent when they need help most.

Ghana cannot afford to treat these outcomes as isolated incidents. Every adolescent deserves the opportunity to learn, remain in school and make informed decisions about their health and future.

Reproductive Health Education Is Part of the Solution

Some people fear that teaching young people about reproductive health will encourage sexual activity. However, adolescents need accurate, age-appropriate information to understand their bodies, recognise abuse and make responsible decisions.

Reproductive Health Education is not about encouraging children to have sex. It is about helping them understand puberty, personal boundaries, consent, pregnancy prevention and where to seek reliable information and care as they grow.

This responsibility is not foreign to Ghanaian culture. Traditionally, many communities used puberty rites and guidance from older relatives to prepare young people for adulthood. Today, that guidance must respond to the realities adolescents face, including social media, changing family structures and the risks of exploitation.

Parents, teachers, health workers and religious leaders all have a role to play. A parent can create a safe space for questions. A teacher can provide accurate information in the classroom. A nurse can offer confidential, respectful advice. Religious and traditional leaders can reinforce values such as responsibility, respect and protection from harm.

Information must also be matched with accessible services. Adolescents who seek help at health facilities should not be met with scolding or embarrassment. They need trained professionals who respect their privacy and provide appropriate care.

What Must Happen Now?

Ghana does not need to begin from scratch. It needs stronger commitment, sustained investment and coordinated action.

1. Government must invest in RHE. Adequate domestic funding is needed to support education, teacher training, adolescent-friendly health services and community engagement rather than relying heavily on external donors.
2. Schools must deliver RHE consistently. The Ghana Education Service should strengthen reproductive health education in the curriculum and equip teachers with the skills and guidance needed to teach it effectively.
3. Health facilities must become more adolescent-friendly. The Ghana Health Service should ensure that young people receive respectful, confidential, and appropriate care, regardless of their age or circumstances.
4. Communities must protect children. Parents, teachers, chiefs, queen mothers and faith leaders should promote open conversations about reproductive health and ensure that sexual abuse and defilement are reported through the appropriate channels rather than settled privately.
5. Young people must have access to reliable information. Schools, families and community organisations should work together to ensure adolescents receive accurate guidance before misinformation or exploitation puts them at risk.

Akosua did not need to be told what she should have done after becoming pregnant. She needed accurate information, guidance and protection before her circumstances reached that point.

Ghana’s adolescent pregnancy figures should prompt more than public concern. They should drive sustained action. Our children cannot afford to miss the lessons that could protect their health, safeguard their education and give them a better chance at the future they deserve.

REFERENCES

1. Ghana News Agency. (2026, September 15). GHS records more than 53,000 adolescent pregnancies in seven months. https://gna.org.gh/2026/09/ghs-records-more-than-53000-adolescent-pregnancies-in-seven-months-2/
2. Ghana Statistical Service, Ghana Health Service, and ICF. (2024). Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2022. https://ghs.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ghana%20DHS%202022%20FINAL.pdf
3. Institute of Development Studies, University of Cape Coast. (2017). Study on girls dropping out of school due to teenage pregnancy. UNICEF Ghana. https://www.unicef.org/ghana/reports/case-study
4. UNICEF Ghana. (2021). Protecting and Empowering Adolescent Girls in Ghana. https://www.unicef.org/ghana/reports/protecting-and-empowering-adolescent-girls-ghana
5. UNESCO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, and WHO. (2018). International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An Evidence-Informed Approach (Revised edition). UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/international-technical-guidance-sexuality-education-evidence-informed-approach
6. Ghana Education Service. (2018). Guidelines for Prevention of Pregnancy Among School Girls and Facilitation of Re-Entry into School After Childbirth. https://features.hrw.org/features/african-union/files/Ghana%20-%202018%20Guidelines%20for%20Prevention%20of%20Pregnancy%20Among%20School%20Girls%20and%20Facilitation%20of%20Re-Entry%20into%20School%20After%20Childbirth.pdf

Source: Alliance For Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR)

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