WINDHOEK, July 23– Namibia must step up efforts to curb teenage pregnancy, which threatens to undermine the country’s progress in education, healthcare and sexual and reproductive health services, National Planning Commission Director-General Kaire Mbuende said Thursday.
Speaking at Namibia’s commemoration of World Population Day in the capital city of Windhoek, Mbuende said that far too many young people still face difficulties in transitioning to productive adulthood. “One of the greatest challenges is teenage pregnancy.
It interrupts education, limits employment opportunities, perpetuates poverty and undermines the future of many young girls,” he said. “Addressing this challenge is not only a health issue, but also a national development priority.”
The event featured the Namibian launch of the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Lives, Choices and Futures: Demographic Futures Survey 2026 report, as well as the premiere of a documentary on teenage pregnancy.
“The report reminds us that development is about expanding people’s choices. Our responsibility is to create an environment where every young person can make informed decisions and pursue their aspirations,” he said.
According to UNFPA, Namibia’s adolescent birth rate declined from 91.7 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 in 1992 to a projected 64 per 1,000 in 2025.
However, adolescents still account for about 15 percent of annual births, while pregnancy remains a major contributor to school dropout among girls.
Erika Goldson, UNFPA Namibia representative, said policies should empower young people to make informed choices rather than impose reproductive decisions on them. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
