By Mike Rwothomio

Zombo District has reported 3,896 cases of teenage pregnancies among girls under 18 years during the 2024-2025 period, according to data from the District Community Development Department. 

This figure represents 26.7% of the 14,593 antenatal care  visits recorded among women across the district's health facilities.

Samuel Ocaki, District Community Development Officer, disclosed the statistics during a recent stakeholder engagement meeting organized by the Alur Kingdom at the Zombo District Farmers Association  offices in Zombo Town Council.

Ocaki noted that the prevalence places Zombo among the leading districts in the West Nile sub-region for adolescent pregnancies. The  data is based on mothers attending ANC services.

Stakeholders highlighted that  the cases could be sky-higher, with potential underreporting due to some adolescent mothers opting for home deliveries assisted by traditional birth attendants.

Child protection stakeholders, civil society organizations, and community leaders expressed renewed alarm over the persistent high rates, despite multi-sectoral interventions targeting adolescent sexual and reproductive health challenges.

Ocaki attributed part of the problem to parents' reluctance to report defilement cases, which serve as a preventive measure against sexual exploitation leading to pregnancies

Efforts since the post-COVID teenage pregnancy surge in 2022 have included community sensitization, cultural leadership engagement by the Alur Kingdom, and programs by organizations such as Life Concern and MEMPROW.

Bob Opio, Minister of Culture and Legal Affairs in the Alur Kingdom, called for stronger implementation of the "Kura Matira" policy to restore family values, promote harmony, and ensure responsible child upbringing.

He urged parents to provide essential support to girls, including sanitary pads and clothing, to reduce vulnerability to exploitation through financial inducements.

Sunday Kayom, representing MEMPROW, a civil society organization focused on women's rights and gender-based violence prevention, emphasized retention strategies in formal education, challenging harmful gender norms, and scaling up comprehensive sexuality education programs.

"We need to keep girls in school, provide second-chance opportunities for those who become pregnant to complete their studies, and deliver sexual education both in and out of school," Kayom stated.

She  further stressed the need for  addressing of  negative gender norms and the importance of good parenting in collaboration with leaders and stakeholders.

Hassan Ringtho, Speaker of the Zombo District Council, described the high incidence as "unfortunate" and reaffirmed the council's commitment to operationalizing the Education Ordinance 2024, designed to safeguard girls' rights and reduce school dropouts linked to pregnancy.

Ringtho also suggested that proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo border in about eight lower local government units may contribute to inflated figures, as some mothers from across the border access Ugandan health services.

Recent 2025 Primary Leaving Examination  results reflected broader educational challenges, with only 25 candidates achieving Division One and over 600 ungraded out of more than 2,000 sitters.

A  recent study by Life Concern indicated that approximately 65% of youths in the district neither read nor write, exacerbated by dropout rates driven by early marriage and teenage pregnancy.

Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, Prime Minister of the Alur Kingdom, advocated for strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration, noting the Kingdom's deployment of cultural mechanisms and community sensitization aligned with national efforts to protect adolescent girls.

Zombo's adolescent pregnancy prevalence of 26.7% exceeds Uganda's national average, which recent reports place at approximately 24-25% for girls aged 15-19 who have begun childbearing, a rate that has remained largely stagnant over the past two decades, according to statistics from  UBOS and UNICEF.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa your number one grassroot information hub