The U.N. is optimistic that West Africa can hit zero Ebola cases by mid-April, but vulnerable girls in the region are facing a new debilitating epidemic — a spike in teen pregnancy and prostitution.
Due to prolonged school closings and widespread deaths of parents and caregivers, girls in Sierra Leone and Liberia — two of the hardest-hit regions — have become more susceptible to sexual exploitation and experts say it’s up to on-the-ground agencies to better protect them.
“Our children are out selling in the community, helping their family to get food,” a Liberian mother who declined to give her name told Plan International, an aid group that supports impoverished children. “Some of the younger girls will soon start prostitution, because we can’t control the children if we can’t provide for them.”
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To keep kids in Sierra Leone engaged in their studies, UNICEF partnered with the government in October to launch a radio educational program. The hour-long lessons are broadcast on 41 stations, and about half of households surveyed have gotten involved, according to NPR.
To help curb the teen pregnancy rates, and support young people who have gotten pregnant, Koroma has committed to partnering with agencies and government ministries. She’s also connecting girls with services that offer birth control, she told Ebola Deeply.
“It’s frustrating, but I am not going to relent,” she said. “I will keep using all my powers to advocate for girls’ and women’s empowerment, and the first step is to reduce teenage pregnancy rates.”
