Lamwo records “28% of teenage pregnancies in 2025”

Data from the Lamwo District Executive Committee led by the LC5 chairperson Oyet Sisto Ocen, shows that at least 28 percent of teenage pregnancies and early marriages were recorded in the district over the past year.

They described the figures as “an alarming trend that has triggered urgent interventions.”

To cut down the trend, Enabling Rural Opportunity Network (ERONet), a non-governmental organization working in Agoro sub-county, Lamwo, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lamwo district local government to support girls’ education.

Stephen Otim, the Executive Director of ERONet, said the MoU aims to keep girls in school and reduce their vulnerability. “We want to ensure that we support the education of the girl child up to Senior Four,” he said.

“Education is one of the most effective ways to prevent teenage pregnancy,” he added. “When girls stay in school, they are less likely to engage in risky behavior.”

Health experts warn that teenage pregnancy poses serious risks to both mother and child. Margaret Aryemo, Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health in Kitgum district, highlighted the dangers.

“Teenage mothers are at a higher risk of complications such as obstructed labor, anaemia, and even death during childbirth,” she said.

Their bodies, Aryemo said, are not fully developed to handle pregnancy, and this also affects the health of the baby, who may be born premature or underweight.

She added that the consequences extend beyond health, often leading to school dropout, poverty, and limited life opportunities.

“Preventing teenage pregnancy is not just a health issue; it is a development issue. We must invest in awareness, reproductive health education, and community engagement to protect our girls,” Aryemo emphasised in an interview with tndNews, Uganda.

Across Acholi sub-region, available data show that during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, over 4,000 cases of teenage pregnancy were registered in a short period across the Acholi sub-region.

Lamwo district recorded 1,000 cases, followed by Pader (920), Agago (730), Nwoya (642), Amuru (620), and Gulu (150).