Cases of pregnancy and abortion-related complications are said to be increasing in the Volta Region.

While some female students are reportedly losing their lives, others are said to have had their reproductive systems permanently destroyed through complications.

The medical superintendent of the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho, Dr Geoffrey Nyam-uame, disclosed this at an awards ceremony at a senior high school at Keta.

He said the situation has become so alarming that stakeholders in the health sector must intensify public education on reproductive health in the region.

His comments come after reports of several pregnancies among some candidates of the recent basic school examinations.

Some of these students are said to have been diffident to enter exam halls to write their papers.

Dr Nyam-uame also decried increasing records from the Psychiatric Hospitals in the country indicating that persons below 18 years in the country were developing serious mental problems because of the use of drugs.

He charged government to increase its public health campaigns to discourage the youth from taking drugs.