The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mr Jacob Oulanyah has attributed the current high prevalence of teenage pregnancies in Acholi on old men who go lure young girls.
Mr Oulanyah who doubles as Member of Parliament for Omoro County in Omoro district said old men take advantage of young girls to have sex with them. Consequently, the legislator said that such acts end up in early marriages.
Mr Oulanyah was speaking at the launch of the national mass vaccination for meningitis at Omoro District headquarters on Tuesday.
Mr Oulanyah noted that in some health facilities, young girls come for antenatal care unaccompanied because old men fear being seen as the ones responsible for such pregnancies.
He described old men entering into sexual relationship with young girls an abomination in the Acholi tradition.
Oulanyah noted that the trend has led to young girls failing to achieve their full potential besides health complications related to early pregnancies among the teenagers.
He urged local authorities in the sub region to enact a by-law that outlaw marrying young girls by old men so as to protect the future of the girl child.
The Minister of Health, Dr Ruth Aceng decried teenage pregnancy as a national problem and worrying, adding that in she has seen pregnant girls as young as 8 years.
Dr Aceng told journalists that teenage pregnancies are the largest contributors in maternal mortality rate in the country due to pregnancy related complications.
She explained that early pregnancy comes with its complications such as the destruction of birth canal fistula, hypertension and death among others because the bodies of such girls are not mature enough to handle safe deliveries.
