SA Public Hospitals Record 1,448 New Year’s Births, Over 80 Young Girls Among January 1 Mothers
- Government facilities across South Africa recorded 1,448 New Year's Day births on Wednesday, 1 January 2025
- The total number of births decreased from 1,703 in 2024, while teen births also dropped during the same period
- The African Transformation Movement (ATM) party expressed concern about the teenage pregnancy scourge
Source: Twitter
SOUTH AFRICA — Public hospitals across the country's nine provinces welcomed nearly 1,500 New Year's Day babies on Wednesday, 1 January 2025.
Among the newest mothers was a 12-year-old Eastern Cape girl.
The 1,448 total births recorded at government facilities decreased from the 1,703 deliveries in 2024, with teen births decreasing from 190 to about 80.
Decrease in New Year's births
Gauteng recorded the most New Year's births, 387, while the Eastern Cape and Limpopo trailed with 219 and 191, respectively.
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KwaZulu-Natal noted 185 deliveries, Mpumalanga 154; Western Cape 101; North West, 89; and Free State 85. The Northern Cape had the fewest at only 37.
The Health Department called on families to join hands with the government and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to address teen pregnancy.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the scourge contributed to irregular schooling, poor performance and dropouts.
"Especially for teen mothers who lack family support to look after the babies when they go to school," said Mohale.
He said health officials would work with the Social Development and Basic Education Departments to support teen mothers through existing programmes.
The pregnancy rate among women aged 10–19 was 30.5 per 1,000 in 2021/22. The African Transformation Movement (ATM) expressed concern about the scourge of teenage pregnancy.
Party National spokesperson Zama Ntshona said the events reflected, among other things, the disintegration of the family unit. He said traditional values that historically guided the upbringing of children had eroded.
"The family structure has weakened, leading to moral degeneration and the absence of a unified agenda for nurturing the younger generation.
"Additionally, the modern technology's influence has exposed youth to foreign cultures and values that undermine the principles that seek to instil responsibility and deter meaningless sexual engagements.
"Economic hardships frequently heighten the risk of teenage pregnancy, where young girls in disadvantaged communities feel pressured to engage in relationships for financial support," said Ntshona.
The ATM urged for comprehensive, multi-faceted solutions that address the immediate crises and the underlying social, cultural, and economic factors contributing to the trend.
Five teens welcome Christmas bundles
In related news, Briefly News reported that 570 babies were born at public hospitals on Christmas Day, with some of the mothers' ages causing concern.
Health officials confirmed that five new mothers were teenagers, the youngest of whom is only 13. The number of newborns mirrored 2002 figures when SA welcomed over 500 babies.
The deliveries on 25 December 2024 were made between midnight and noon.
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Source: Briefly News
