App targets teen pregnancies

An international charity has launched an interactive sex education app in Sierra Leone as health experts warn the coronavirus lockdown could cause a surge in unwanted teenage pregnancies. During the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, a nine-month lockdown in Sierra Leone led to a spike in pregnancies due to school closures. A report on the allAfrica site notes that Ramatu Jalloh, Save the Children's country director in the country, said the app – which takes the form of an interactive game – aimed to help avert a repeat of that trend. Players encounter situations linked to sexual health and coronavirus issues, and are offered advice on the best way to move forward. The focus is on prioritising education, debunking myths and sharing support contacts. ‘Our concern is that if we weren't addressing those issues that made them unsafe at home, then we could possibly have high risks of the same thing occurring,’ she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Full report on the allAfrica site