3,170 young girls impregnated in Gulu in 12 months 

Gulu – 7, August 2021: Greater Gulu, which includes Gulu district and Gulu city, has both registered 3,170 cases of teenage pregnancies from July 2020 to June 2021.

Jessica Anena is the Gulu district probation officer. She presented the report to different stakeholders at the probation office.

According to the statistics, Gulu district registered 1,171 cases of teenage pregnancies and most of the cases [129] was in June 2021.

Gulu city has the highest record; 1,781 cases. They recorded 299 cases in May 2020.

She [Anena] added that they collected the statistics as per the visitation made by the victims to antenatal care units at their respective health facilities within the district and city.

Brenda Aromorach, the Gulu district Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWDE) Field Officer disclosed that “these statistics are alarming and parents should take good care of their children”.

“The Covid-19 lockdown has contributed to the hike in the cases within greater Gulu since children are home and schools are closed,” she adds.

 She further says this has left children idle and has definitely forced them to get involved in activities which leave them at risk of teenage pregnancies.

Eve Lanyero, a former student of Makerere University, noted that the primary cause for the high rate of teenage pregnancies among young girls today is mainly as a result of Covid-19 lockdown.

“The lockdown has led to the closure of learning institutions, has made children resort to unproductive activities and idleness has become the order of the day,” she told our reporter.

Parents told to advise their young girls to stick to books during these hard times and they should not think that this is the end of life. “The government should re open schools in order to help fight against this vice.”

Teenage pregnancies have highly increased in Uganda in recent years. Northern Uganda and particularly Gulu city, where 1,781 cases were recorded and Gulu district with 1,171 cases in just 12 months.