…as health officials, UNFPA raise alarm
‘Makananelo Manamolela
HEALTH authorities in Mohale’s Hoek have raised concern over a sharp increase in teenage pregnancies, revealing that one in every four girls in the district has fallen pregnant during the first six months of 2026.
The alarming figures were revealed by Mohale’s Hoek District Medical Officer, Dr Bokang Kojana, during the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) World Population Day commemorations held at Ha-Potsane on Thursday.
The event, held under the theme “Realising the hopes and aspirations of young people: Today and for the future,” brought together government officials, development partners, health workers and young people to discuss the challenges confronting the country’s youth.
Dr Kojana said the district was witnessing a worrying rise in unintended teenage pregnancies, threatening the future prospects of many young people.
“In Mohale’s Hoek, at least one in every five people is a youth. We are very worried about the teenage pregnancy rate. Last year one in five girls fell pregnant, while this year one in four is pregnant as we speak,” Dr Kojana said.
She said many teenagers were becoming pregnant before they were ready, forcing some to abandon their education and limiting their future opportunities.
“The rate of teenage pregnancies is a sign that teenagers are highly engaged in unprotected sex. This leads to them leaving school, affects their education and exposes them to different illnesses,” Dr Kojana said.
She said the Ministry of Health was intensifying efforts to curb teenage pregnancies through school health programmes, adolescent-friendly health corners and increased access to contraceptive services.
However, uptake of contraceptives among young people remained low.
“Only one out of every five people uses contraceptives, which shows that adults are the main users while many young people are not protecting themselves,” she said.
Dr Kojana also revealed that approximately 21,000 people in the district — about 14 percent of the population — were living with HIV.
Although Lesotho has achieved the global 97-97-99 HIV treatment targets, she said Mohale’s Hoek had already recorded 244 new HIV infections between January and June this year, with 85 of those cases involving young people.
She said this was despite the availability of antiretroviral treatment, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) tablets and the long-acting HIV prevention injection, Lenacapavir.
Meanwhile, police also expressed concern over persistently high levels of sexual offences in the district.
Inspector Tefo Kopane said police recorded about 80 sexual offence cases in 2024, rising to approximately 85 cases in 2025. Between January and June this year alone, 20 cases had already been reported.
“This shows how serious the problem remains despite our efforts to educate communities about crime and the law,” he said.
Insp Kopane said many teenage pregnancies were linked to sexual abuse and reminded the public that the Sexual Offences Act prohibited sexual relationships with anyone under the age of 18.
He also urged parents to create stable family environments, warning that domestic conflict often negatively affected children’s wellbeing.
Referring to the Counter Domestic Violence Act of 2022, he said the legislation strengthened protection for vulnerable family members.
“One of the provisions makes it an offence for a parent to be intoxicated while children have no food at home,” he said.
UNFPA Country Representative, John Kennedy Mosoti, officially opened the celebrations by handing over calibrated drapes to the Ministry of Health. The equipment is intended to help healthcare workers detect and manage postpartum haemorrhage more effectively, reducing maternal deaths.
“A child is raised by a community. As UNFPA, we believe in strengthening partnerships that advance quality healthcare for every mother and newborn,” Mr Mosoti said.
He said World Population Day served as a reminder of the need to invest in young people by expanding opportunities, amplifying their voices and helping them realise their full potential.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, said the country’s demographic profile made investment in youth an urgent national priority.
She noted that young people aged between 15 and 35 accounted for 760,230 people of Lesotho’s population of about two million, while youth unemployment stood at 48.9 percent, according to the 2024 labour force survey.
“What worries me most is that these are the future leaders of this country. If nearly half of young people aged 15 to 24 are neither working nor in education or training, then we must ask where they are and what their mental state is,” she said.
Dr Matlanyane called on the government, communities, parents and development partners to work together to tackle unemployment, teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence and child marriage.
This year’s World Population Day celebrations focused on protecting young people and ensuring they have the opportunities and support needed to build healthy, productive futures.