Christmas births include nearly 90 teen moms
More than 1 360 babies were born at public health facilities across the country on Christmas Day.
The health department said the number of teenage mothers dropped from 145 in 2023 to just under 90 this year.
Three 13-year-old girls from Limpopo were among those who gave birth on Christmas Day.
On Thursday evening, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba reported that police arrested a 28-year-old man, who is alleged to have fathered one of the babies, on charges of statutory rape.
The department attributed the decrease in teenage births to several interventions, including the Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and Healthy Lifestyle Campaigns, as well as the introduction of Youth Friendly Zones in primary health facilities, which provide young people with easier access to sexual and reproductive health services without having to wait in line with general patients.
“These interventions are implemented in collaboration with various stakeholders including the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development, SANAC, Higher Health, Love Life and Soul City to increase an uptake of family planning services to reduce stigma and unplanned pregnancies amongst young people through promotion of contraception methods,” said the department’s spokesperson Foster Mohale.
Reports suggest that more than 122 000 teenagers gave birth in 2023–2024 financial year. The figure consists of 2 716 young girls aged 10 to 14, and 119 587 teens aged 15 to 19.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health reported that this year’s Christmas births showed a decrease of 300, with 1,360 babies born compared to 1,708 in 2023, and about 50 fewer than the 1,414 born in 2022.
Gauteng reported the highest number of births, with 393 babies, followed by the Eastern Cape with 196 newborns.
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