Every year, 21 million girls aged 15–19 in low- and middle-income countries become pregnant, and 777,000 of those births are to girls under 15. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest adolescent fertility rate globally—101 births per 1,000 adolescents, compared to 12 per 1,000 in high-income countries. Stillbirths and neonatal deaths are up to 50% higher for infants of adolescent mothers than for women aged 20–29. Despite these stark numbers, most research and funding has focused on preventing adolescent pregnancy, not on improving care for those who do become pregnant. This project aims to close that gap by building a collaborative network between the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. The network will bring together midwives, obstetricians, paediatricians, social scientists, educators, and public health experts to share expertise, set research priorities, and develop new care protocols. If successful, the partnership could establish a benchmark for high-quality adolescent maternity care across similar countries, reducing maternal and infant mortality and improving long-term health outcomes for young mothers and their children.
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Adolescent pregnancy is a global concern, with estimates suggesting that 21 million girls aged 15–19 years in LMICs become pregnant, resulting in 12 million births [1]. More concerning is younger adolescents, aged under 15, accounting for approximately 777,000 births. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the highest global fertility rate, with 101 births per 1000 adolescents aged 15-19, compared with 12 births per 1000 in HICs [2]. Adolescents are a known vulnerable group, with pregnancy at a young age impacting on lifelong health and wellbeing. Poorer birth outcomes are reported, with increased maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity [3]. Stillbirths and neonatal deaths are reported to be up to 50% higher for infants of adolescent mothers than for infants of women aged 20–29 years [1]. Babies born to adolescents are more likely to experience physical [4] and developmental issues [5] adding additional challenges. Immaturity of adolescents also places them at risk, socially and medically [6]. Much attention has been given to reducing adolescent pregnancy, but less focus on improving care and outcomes. We aim to develop a SSA-UK partnership to deliver a step change in care provided to adolescents by sharing expertise, accelerating research activity and translation, and providing a benchmark for high-quality healthcare in similar countries. Network activities will include learning and sharing events, workshops, community and stakeholder engagement, research priority setting and research protocol development. The proposed team will draw on research, midwifery, educational, social science, obstetrics, paediatrics and public health networks in the UK and SSA.
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