Teenage pregnancy remains a pressing public health concern in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
UMGUNGUNDLOVU DISTRICT, 27 MARCH 2025 – The National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities convened at Harry Gwala Regional Hospital in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, on Thursday, 27 March 2025, for a multi-sectoral briefing on teenage pregnancy. The session highlighted local initiatives aimed at reducing teenage pregnancies and explored strategies to improve economic opportunities for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW).
Teenage pregnancy remains a pressing public health concern in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). In the 2021/2022 financial year, 34,827 deliveries were recorded among 15–19-year-olds, while 993 births occurred in the 10–14-year age group across all eleven districts. These figures underscore the urgent need for comprehensive sexual education, accessible reproductive health services, and strengthened community support to address the issue effectively.
“Engaged parents and a supportive community play a vital role in shaping young people’s choices and creating an environment where adolescents can thrive”, said Jennifer Mcloughlin, Programme Director: Prevention in Priority Populations, TB HIV Care.
| District | Delivery 15-19 years in facility | Delivery 10-14 years in facility |
|---|---|---|
| Amajuba | 1734 | 36 |
| eThekwini | 8408 | 291 |
| Harry Gwala | 1810 | 38 |
| iLembe | 2160 | 64 |
| King Cetshwayo | 3637 | 85 |
| Ugu | 2531 | 85 |
| uMgungundlovu | 2846 | 66 |
| Umkhanyakude | 3432 | 116 |
| Umzinyathi | 2312 | 53 |
| Uthukela | 2409 | 68 |
| Zululand | 3548 | 91 |
| Grand Total | 34827 | 993 |
Table 1: shows delivery of 10-19 years in facility deliveries (April 2021- March 2022)
Source: KZN Department of Health
In addition to teenage pregnancy, AGYW in South Africa face significant socio-economic challenges that heighten their vulnerability to HIV infection and impede their journey toward autonomy and economic independence. South Africa’s HIV epidemic disproportionately impacts women, with 64% of the 7.5 million adults living with HIV being female. Adolescent girls (AG) and young women (YW), aged 15–19 years and 20–24 years, are twice as likely to be living with HIV as their male counterparts(1). AGYW are also at high risk for mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety. A UNICEF U-Report poll found that 73% of youth felt the need for mental health support, and 38% actively sought help(2).
Economic hardship further compounds these risks. Youth unemployment stands at 63.9% for those aged 15–24 and 42.1% for those aged 25–34, forcing many AGYW into vulnerable situations that increase their exposure to HIV and violence against women and girls. Violence against women and girls remains widespread, with 21% of women experiencing physical violence from a partner(3).
At the briefing, TB HIV Care, Government’s Social Cluster – the KwaZulu-Natal Departments of Health, Education, and Social Development – and the National Youth Development Agency discussed key strategies underway in the region to combat teenage pregnancy and remove barriers preventing adolescent girls and young women from reaching their full economic potential.
“A successful collaboration with Government’s Social Cluster has placed learner support agents in targeted schools to provide peer guidance, promote delayed sexual debut, and ensure access to confidential sexual and reproductive health services”, concluded Mcloughlin.
TB HIV Care implements the DREAMS Programme, which takes a holistic approach, integrating structural, behavioral, biomedical, and psychosocial interventions to empower AGYW. In the 2023/2024 financial year, 109,821 young people received structural interventions through DREAMS and 8,078 beneficiaries were provided with intensive economic strengthening initiatives. Aligned with the national Youth HIV prevention strategy”’ Zikhala kanjani’’, DREAMS addresses socio-economic disparities and aims to reduce HIV incidence among AGYW.
TB HIV Care supports the KZN Department of Health’s Integrated Multi-Stakeholder Health Promotion and Wellbeing Strategy, which (1) provides comprehensive sexual education in schools, (2) improves access to reproductive health services, (3) offers peer mentorship programs to provide guidance and emotional support, (4) coordinates community engagement initiatives involving parents and caregivers, and (5) offers economic empowerment programs to reduce financial vulnerabilities that contribute to early pregnancies. Government’s integrated strategy to curb teenage pregnancy is augmented by a geospatial Community Mapping Project, which uses real-time geospatial tracking to identify teenage pregnancy hotspots and enhance public health services coordination.
By identifying high-risk areas the mapping tool empowers policymakers and service providers to allocate resources efficiently and deploy targeted interventions. This digital platform, housed in the Office of the Premier, KZN, serves as a public service directory, allowing stakeholders—including government departments, NGOs, and healthcare providers—to better connect young people to reproductive health services, school health programs, and peer support initiatives.
This multi-sectoral approach, combining strategy, technology, community engagement, and economic empowerment, marks a transformative shift in tackling teenage pregnancy in KZN. By aligning geospatial data with Government’s integrated strategy, the KZN government ensures that (a) interventions are data-driven, reaching the most affected communities, (b) health services are more accessible, with mobile clinics and outreach programs positioned in high-risk zones, (c) schools with high pregnancy rates receive targeted support, enhancing peer education and mentorship programs, and (d) public awareness campaigns are focused where they are needed most, increasing community engagement and reducing stigma.
Through collaboration, innovation, and commitment, KZN is paving the way for a healthier, more empowered generation of young women.
Note:
- The DREAMS model underscores efforts by TB HIV Care’s Priority Populations Prevention (PPPrev) Programme to make access to services accessible to vulnerable and underserved AGYW. The PPPrev Programme is funded by PEPFAR, through the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government..
References:
- Cassim N, Coetzee LM, da Silva MP, Glencross DK, Stevens WS. Assessing very advanced HIV disease in adolescent girls and young women. South African Journal on HIV Med. 2023;24(1):1501. Published 2023 Jul 20.
- https://www.unicef.org
- https://www.undp.org
Issued by:
Aziel Gangerdine
TB HIV Care, Communications Lead
E-mail: aziel@tbhivcare.org
Cell: +27 (0) 66 545 6053
ENDS.
TB HIV Care
TB HIV Care is a registered non-profit company (NPC) that puts integrated care at the heart of responding to TB, HIV, and other major diseases. We work to prevent, find and treat TB and HIV in South Africa as well as targeting our interventions to address the needs of populations most at risk, including communities in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, adolescent girls and young women in KwaZulu-Natal, inmates in correctional centres, sex workers and people who inject drugs.
