//Kharas’ rising teenage pregnancies alarming
Health officials in Namibia's //Kharas region are reporting a sharp increase in teenage pregnancies, with 84 cases recorded in 2025 compared to 35 the previous year. Authorities are calling for targeted, evidence-based interventions to address the root causes, which remain unclear.
Why it matters
Rising teenage pregnancy rates pose significant challenges to educational attainment and public health outcomes in developing regions.
KEETMANSHOOP – Senior Education Officer for Health and Wellness in the //Kharas region, Otilie Lamberth, has raised the alarm over the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the region, with 17 cases at secondary schools and four at primary schools this year.
Lamberth revealed the figures during an engagement with Miss World Namibia, Elly Aron, who visited the regional directorate last week as part of a familiarisation tour for her campaign against teenage pregnancy.
Lamberth said the region recorded 84 learner pregnancies in 2025, compared with 35 in 2024.
“Our aim is to have zero pregnancies. I keep saying that even one pregnancy should ring a bell. We should treat it as a red flag,” she said.
She said the directorate was unable to identify specific reasons for the pregnancies because the circumstances surrounding each case differed.
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