Dr. Rayapati Sailaja: AP Targets Reducing Teenage Pregnancies to 5% Through Multi-Department Strategy
Vijayawada, March 4:Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission Chairperson Dr. Rayapati Sailaja said the State government is taking special measures to significantly reduce teenage pregnancies, with a target of bringing the rate down to five percent.
A state-level consultation titled “Multi-Sectoral Strategies to Prevent Teenage Pregnancies in Andhra Pradesh” was held at Fortune Murali Hotel in Vijayawada on Wednesday. Representatives from the Women Development and Child Welfare Department, Police, Tribal Welfare, Health Department and several voluntary organisations participated in the meeting.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sailaja said the issue cannot be tackled by a single department and requires coordinated efforts from multiple departments. She emphasised that along with adolescents, parents must also be educated about the consequences of child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
She suggested focusing on skill development and vocational training programmes for young girls so that they can become economically independent. She also recommended involving sarpanches and local leaders in village and mandal-level committees and assigning them responsibilities in prevention efforts.
Dr. Sailaja said awareness about the risks of teenage pregnancy and child marriage should be spread through specially designed health modules. The discussions held during the consultation will be compiled into a detailed report and shared with all stakeholders, she added, urging districts to adopt best practices from one another.
Speaking to media persons later, the Chairperson said coordination meetings were conducted with officials from the education, health, police, women and child welfare and tribal welfare departments to address the issue. She noted that teenage pregnancies have been reported in several parts of the State, with higher prevalence in agency areas such as Paderu and in Kurnool district.
She said measures would be taken to implement the strategies discussed in the consultation. Awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) rights and personal safety will be introduced at the school level. Identifying school dropouts and re-enrolling them in schools would also help address the issue, she added.
Officials have been advised to provide vocational training to girls aged 15–16 and above, helping them gain economic independence and engage in productive activities. The Health Department will also develop and distribute special modules on reproductive health and menstrual hygiene.
Dr. Sailaja said vulnerable girls would be identified and provided protection by admitting them into government-run homes under the Women and Child Welfare Department. At the village level, anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and panchayat secretaries would coordinate efforts to detect and prevent such cases.
She reiterated that the government is implementing a comprehensive action plan involving all departments to bring down teenage pregnancies in the State to below five percent.
State Education Department Additional Director Parvathi, Women’s Commission Advisor Ravuri Suyaj, Child Rights Advocacy Foundation Programme Director Dr. P. Francis Thambi, Association for Voluntary Action State Coordinator Tirupati Rao and ICDS Project Directors from various districts participated in the consultation.
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