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A whopping 899 303 babies were born during 2020. However, there is a disturbing finding among these births.
According to Statistics South Africa, 34 587 of these births occurred among mothers aged 17 and under. “Of the 34 587 births from teen mothers, 16 042 were aged 17 years, while 688 were 10 years young,” Stats SA points out.
According to the national statistical service, early pregnancy and motherhood in South Africa increase the risk of maternal complications, resulting in a lower survival rate for babies. Stats SA emphasises that it also forces many girls to take on adult roles for which they are not emotionally or physically prepared.
Stats SA adds to this alarming statistic by stating that obtaining information about fathers remains a significant challenge.
“In 2020, no reliable information on fathers could be provided due to a high proportion of births registered (more than 60%) without details of fathers.”
Until recently, unmarried fathers were not permitted to have their information on a child’s birth certificate under Section 10 of the Births and Deaths Act. This contributes to the high number of births that have no information on the fathers.
However, according to Stats SA, this is expected to change in the coming years, as the Constitutional Court ruled in September 2021 that this section of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act is unconstitutional.
“This means that unmarried fathers can now have their information registered in their children’s birth certificates at the Department of Home Affairs.”
What do you think about Stats SA’s findings? Share your views in the comment section below.
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