Response to COVID 19
By Guiomara Calle, infographics Ramiro Moncada and photo by Defensoría del Pueblo, Guardiana (Bolivia)
Monday, 20 September 2021 - Teenage pregnancy is a deep-rooted problem in Bolivia and has a very strong impact, especially in children under 15 years of age, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). On average, every day there are 6 pregnancies in children under 15 years of age and most of them are the result of rape. Between the ages of 15 and 19, the figure rises to 104 pregnancies per day. The pandemic and its restrictions have deepened the inaccessibility of contraceptive methods, counselling and information services.
Figures from the National Health Information System (SNIS), under the Ministry of Health, reveal that in 2020 there were 2,170 pregnancies in children under 15 years of age, or an average of 6 per day; and 37,829 pregnant women between 15 and 19 years of age, equivalent to 104 per day. In total, Bolivia registered 39,999 adolescent pregnancies, an average of 110 per day. Compared to other years, the country has shown a gradual decrease since 2017, when it reported a total of 60,850 early pregnancies (167 per day); in 2018 there were 56,910 (156 per day) and in 2019 there were 49,048 (134 per day).
The head of Maternal Health at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Gustavo Tapia, informed Guardiana that the majority of pregnancies in children under 15 years of age are the result of rape, a worrying situation that should mobilise state authorities to create strategies and make decisions to address the problem.
"These are data on adolescents who attend health services; however, there is a number who do not attend and these pregnancies are not being recorded. We will have the real data with a Demographic and Health Survey (EDSA), but this is done every 4 or 5 years unfortunately and we do not have data since 2016, we hope that there will be a new survey this year or next year to have the data or obtain it from the Population Census".Gustavo Tapia, head of Maternal Health at the United Nations Population Fund.
The SNIS data, based on prenatal check-ups in the country's hospitals and health centres, show that between January and August of this year there were 1,372 pregnancies in children under 15 years of age, or six every day; and 20,849 in adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age, equal to 86 every day. Santa Cruz and Beni have the highest figures for the first group; Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, La Paz, Potosí and Beni, in that order, for the second.