By: Fatmata Grace Okekearu | Bo City
In a significant step toward safeguarding adolescent girls and promoting gender equity, the National Secretariat for the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy (NSRTP), under the Ministry of Health, has officially launched the National Strategy for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy and Ending Child Marriage (2025–2030) in Bo City. The event also featured the formal presentation of the Formative Research Report on Adolescent Health, Nutrition, and Support Systems (2023).
Held at Galliness Paradise, Massaquoi Drive, the regional dissemination ceremony drew stakeholders from various government ministries, development partners, local councils, and community leaders. The day commenced with participant registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by an opening prayer and a call to order led by Mr. Victor G. Karimu, NSRTP Communication Officer.
In her welcome and opening remarks, Dr. Salimatu Njai Koroma, Director of NSRTP and Chairperson of the event, emphasized the urgency of addressing adolescent pregnancy and child marriage in Sierra Leone through data-driven, community-based strategies. She underscored the need for a unified national response.
Delivering the official welcome address on behalf of the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) in Bo, Peter Abdulai highlighted the crucial role of education in preventing teenage pregnancy and empowering adolescent girls.
A key moment of the event was the presentation of the Formative Research Report* by Mr. Robert Sam-Kpaker, Research and Publication Specialist from the Ministry of Health. This was followed by a comprehensive breakdown of the new strategy by Dr. Patricia Matu Bah, who outlined its core objectives, implementation roadmap, and anticipated impact.
In a special statement, Madam Hawa Zoker, representing the Local Council Chairperson, shared news of an adolescent clinic offering family planning services on Saturdays. She called for stronger collaboration between parents and authorities in supervising adolescents and stressed the need for increased mobility support and stricter enforcement of child protection laws.
Mr. Andrew Sellu, Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office, praised the strategy as a critical milestone in protecting the rights of adolescent girls, who make up approximately 12% of Sierra Leone’s population.
“Adolescence is a time of significant change,” said Mr. Sellu. “We must ensure that all young people especially girls are supported to navigate this delicate transition.”
While acknowledging progress, Mr. Sellu noted that three in ten girls become pregnant, and two in ten marry before the age of 18 figures that remain alarmingly high. He commended the government’s passage of a landmark law banning child marriage and emphasized the hope that the new strategy brings.
Referencing the UNICEF-supported Formative Research Study, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Irish Aid, and the National Programme to End Child Marriage, Mr. Sellu explained that adolescents face complex, overlapping challenges including poverty, social stigma, and limited access to education and reproductive health services all rooted in deeply ingrained patriarchal norms.
“Although many adolescents are aware of the consequences of early pregnancy and marriage, they often feel powerless to change their situations,” he said. “This is exacerbated by the stigma that prevents them from seeking help.”
The event concluded with the official keynote address and formal strategy launch by Dr. Amara Stevens Ngegbai, who described the strategy as a foundational pillar for sustainable development and gender equality in Sierra Leone. He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to ending harmful practices that hinder the growth and potential of young people.
