Adolescent Health: Achankeng Prisco, Breaking Barriers To Combat Teenage Pregnancy In Upper Atu-Azire.

Achankeng Prisco - Ass. Quarter Head Zone III Upper Atu-Azire

Upper Atu-azire is a Community in Mankon Fondom, located within the Bamenda II council area in Mezam Division of the North West Region.

Achankeng Prisco is the assistant quarter head for upper Atu-azire, zone III.

He explained that though not common any more, it was at first very easy for one to either spot a female pant or condom on the streets every morning in the neighborhood.

"Due to the insecurity and other challenges, you'll get up every morning to find pants and condoms on the streets. An example that a sexual activity has taken place. Perhaps a rape case that has gone unnoticed.... So we sat as a council of upper Atuazire, contributed money and installed street lights in some dark and remote areas of the quarter, where such activities often takes place. We have not been able to do alot but we're still clamouring for more funds to light up other parts of the quarter".

Image courtesy of Youth2Youth cameroon.org

The quarter head who benefitted from the Youth 2 Youth training program designed to engage communities within the Bamenda health district to take actions aim at promoting adolescent health and wellness by some medical health experts in the region says, it wasn't easy getting parents and local authorities in the quarter onboard.

Thanks to the project he was able to convince, school and engage other traditional authorities and parents into taking actions that has gone a long way to increase awareness on adolescent health and wellness in the community.

"After the Youth 2 Youth training program, I went back to my community and brought up the topic during our traditional council meeting, where I had invited some few parents. At first they were not very excited with the idea of us discussing sex with our 13, 14, and 15 year-old Children. They said it was a taboo and that the move will rather encourage sex amongst teenagers in the community"

Teenage mother

After succeeding in convincing them, Achankeng Prisco further indicated that they all finally agree to conduct a survey to ascertain the number and cases of vulnerable teenagers with babies and pregnancy in the quarter, which they did.

"We shared ourselves into the three zones that make up the quarter and from the survey we came back with the following results;

- In zone I, we discovered 1 teenager who's pregnant and 2 others that's given birth with babies of 2 and 3months old.

- In zone II we discovered 6 teenage girls with pregnancies and 5 who've put to birth.

- While in zone III there were 4 who were pregnant and 7 who've put to birth.

Giving a total of 11 pregnancies and 13 births in upper Atuazire community alone, at the time of the survey" he added.

Risks of teenage pregnancy

The statistics revealed by the rapid survey they conducted he said, also push them to find out the reason for this sharp increase in the numbers of teenage pregnancies and births in the community.

"We realize we had about 38 girls who were not going to school, doing nothing at all and 26 adolescent boys roaming the quarter and doing nothing as well".

The quarter head who saluted Youth 2 Youth for a project that holds everyone accountable for the health of the young ones in their Community says though they're making an effort to turn the tides around, much is yet to be done and they can't do it on their own.

He adds that apart from Youth 2 Youth, he and others have been and intend to continue knocking on the doors of NGO's and foundations that caters for the welfare of adolescent to step in and assist them in their efforts to assists the vulnerable ones amongst these teenagers who could barely feed themselves, not to talk of their offsprings or carryout antenatal checks for those that are pregnant.

Youth2Youth training session

Mr prisco also said he intends to rally his colleagues to embark on a massive campaign to educate parents in the quarter, on the necessity to discuss safer sex practices such as contraception to their children.

Statistics have proven that within this crisis period many youths have been displaced and are trapped in situations like the one which the councillor is fighting hard to combat in his quarter.

Coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic which has forced both children and adults to stay at home, cases of gender base violence such as rape, sexual harassment amongst others have been on the rise.

There's also been an upsurge in the number of teenage pregnancies with teenage mothers and inhabitants of the Upper Atu-azire neighborhood just like others in other communities of the North West region, are also battling with the negative consequences of the conflict and it's impact on the population.

By Martial Gnoukapasir.