869 registered births in 2022 were recorded to females under the age of 15, a recent report by the Births and Deaths Registry and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed.
Out of the 677,140 registered births documented in 2022, this subset constitutes approximately 0.13%. Despite its relatively small proportion, the figure underscores the imperative to bolster child protection services and undertake concerted efforts to reduce such occurrences.
The Northern region recorded the highest number of registered births to mothers under 15, with 160 instances, followed closely by the Oti and Central regions, each tallying 125 registered births.
Conversely, the Savannah, North East, and Upper East regions each reported just one registered birth to a mother under 15, while the Ashanti region recorded none.
This report highlights the urgent need for interventions to safeguard children. It is noteworthy, however, that not all births to individuals under 15 may have been registered, emphasizing the significance of this issue.