A.P. women’s panel chief calls for multi-stakeholder approach to address teenage pregnancies

Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission Chairperson Rayapati Sailaja on Wednesday said concerted efforts to prevent teenage pregnancies were crucial, requiring a multi-stakeholder approach to address the health, social, and economic consequences of early motherhood.

Speaking at a State level consultation on “Multi-Sectoral Strategies to Prevent Teenage Pregnancies in Andhra Pradesh”, Dr. Sailaja stressed the need to scale up awareness among not only children but also their parents to prevent child marriages and teenage pregnancies. She said the focus should be on skill development through vocational education courses to enhance employability among youth and suggested that sarpanches and local leaders in village and mandal-level committees be involved and assigned with specific responsibilities.

The women’s panel chief said as part of comprehensive efforts to curb teenage pregnancies, the Commission was implementing an integrated action plan with the target of reducing such cases to below 5 % through coordination among all departments.

She said young girls should be made to understand the adverse consequences of teenage pregnancies and child marriages through structured health modules. She said teenage pregnancy cases were being reported from various parts of the State, with relatively higher prevalence in agency areas such as Paderu and later in Kurnool district. She directed the authorities concerned to initiate immediate and effective steps to implement the decisions and strategies formulated during this awareness seminar.

Speaking about the importance of creating awareness among school children regarding Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) rights and personal safety, she said identifying school dropouts and re-enrolling them in educational institutions would significantly help in addressing the issue.

She said the officials concerned should focus on providing vocational training to girls aged 15 to 16 and above, strengthen them economically, and channel their time towards productive activities. The Health Department would prepare and distribute special health modules focusing on reproductive health and menstrual hygiene, she said.