6,000 Tanzanian schoolgirls dropping out in 2020 over pregnancy

At least 6,475 schoolgirls in Tanzania dropped out of school in 2020 over pregnancy, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said Saturday, reported Xinhua.

Majaliwa said among the girls, 1,135 girls were from primary schools and 5,340 from secondary schools.

The prime minister revealed the teenage pregnancy figures when he launched the National Agenda for Investing in Health and Development for Adolescents in the capital of Dodoma, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

"This alarming situation is unacceptable. Each one of us should ensure that girls are protected to enable them to complete their education," said Majaliwa, who reiterating that anyone implicated with impregnating a schoolgirl should be jailed.

He said the newly launched agenda is aimed at protecting adolescents from catching HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, sexual violence and providing them with good nutrition in schools.