HSO notes an increase in City’s adolescent births during the pandemic

BAGUIO CITY – (06 May 2021) – Adolescent births have been on the rise in the Summer Capital for the past several years according to health services office (HSO) head Dr. Rowena Galpo.

In Monday’s flag-raising rites at City Hall, she said adolescent and teen pregnancies increased from 21.93 percent in 2019 to 24.9 percent last year compared to the target of less than 37 per 1,000 females aged five to 19 years old.

She assured, however, that much has been done in this service area and her office continuous to work with other concerned departments and agencies including on parental care.

“This steady collaboration will surely improve the health concerns of the city’s adolescents and youth,” Galpo stressed.

Meanwhile, the city’s modern contraceptive prevalence rate increased from a low 13 percent in 2019 to a more respectable 21 percent in 2020 compared to a target of 27 percent.

She said the decreases in accomplishments was due to coronavirus-2019 community quarantines that discouraged residents from going to health facilities.

The city’s target of 90 percent fully immunized children, on the other hand, fell to 40.39 percent last year.

The decrease can be partly explained, Galpo said, by policy constraints and created fear of exposing children outside including bringing them to health facilities due to the ongoing pandemic. – Gaby B. Keith