By Nukanah Kollie, contributing writer
FOEQUELLEH TOWN, BONG COUNTY – Ocilia K. Mombo, a dedicated registered midwife at the Foequelleh maternal waiting home, has raised the alarm over the influx of teenage pregnancies at the facility.
Teenage pregnancy is a significant issue in the region and Liberia as a whole. According to the World Health Organization, adolescents aged 15–19 years in low- and middle-income countries have an estimated 21 million pregnancies each year, with approximately 50% being unintended. These pregnancies often result in higher risks of complications for both the mother and the baby. In sub-Saharan Africa, the adolescent birth rate remains high, with 97.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy?form=MG0AV3&form=MG0AV3.
Based on data from the John Flomo Bakalu government school administration, during the period from 2022 to 2024, the school recorded a total of 34 teenage pregnancy dropouts, with 16 at the elementary level and 18 at the junior high level. These teenage pregnancies led to students dropping out of school. Meanwhile, C.B. Dunbar and Phebe Hospitals documented a total of 1,309 teenage pregnancies in 2022, 1,443 in 2023, and 840 in 2024. These figures highlight a significant issue of teenage pregnancies impacting education and necessitating targeted intervention to support these young parents and reduce dropout rates.
Madam Mombo noted that the entity continues to receive a large number of pregnancies from girls aged 13 to 14 years, with many of the pregnancies denied by their partners. She mentioned that she always handles cases at the maternal waiting home from about eight catchment communities around Foequelleh town and adjacent localities in Bong County. Mombo maintained that the much younger ones are reproducing more than the older ones.
With approximately 150 pregnant women giving birth each year, 75 percent of the number are attributed to teenagers.
In a move to minimize teenage pregnancies, she told Smart News Liberia that her office has initiated community outreach at public and private schools to create awareness, urging teenagers to focus on their education and forgo their involvement in early sexual activities. She termed these activities as some of the major factors contributing to high school dropouts in the community.
While campaigning against teenage pregnancy in the region, Mombo cited that she has been distributing family planning resources and encouraging teenagers to visit the clinic regularly to get on family planning and reduce teenage pregnancies among school-going girls.
She also frowned at the rampant involvement of 13 to 14-year-olds in sexual activity, which she said places hardship on their less-fortunate parents, who are engaged in farming just to survive. She added that some of the cases received at the waiting home or clinic are often denied by the boyfriends or “belly fathers.” These financially challenged farmers are overburdened with subsistence farming and, at the same time, feeding neglected pregnancies of teenagers, which increases poverty among them as parents.
The conditions at maternal waiting homes are dire. Many women who come to these facilities lack basic needs such as food and mattresses. The few mattresses available are often damaged, and the solar power supply is unreliable. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that many women stay at these homes for up to nine months, awaiting childbirth.
According to Madam Mombo, the need for food and proper sleeping arrangements is critical. “Some people don’t have food to eat, and they escape from the waiting home to find food,” Osia K. explained. “The mattresses we have are insufficient, and most of them are damaged because the ground eats the mattress. The solar power is not guaranteed, and everything is damaged due to prolonged use.”
The waiting home also faces issues with mobility and transportation for pregnant women with complications. “When we call for an ambulance, the women are responsible for transport costs,” Ocilia explained. “It’s a challenge to find transportation, especially when there’s no money.”
The situation at maternal waiting homes in Foequelleh town discloses the urgent need for support and resources. Addressing the issues of teenage pregnancy and improving the conditions of these facilities are crucial steps toward ensuring the health and well-being of mothers and their babies.
