Where Do Men Disappear To? Teenage Mothers in Ntungamo Left to Cope Alone

What the report says

Teenage mothers in Ntungamo District, southwestern Uganda, say they are being left to manage pregnancy and child-rearing with little help after the fathers of their children disappear. According to Nile Post, the reporting focused on young women who described losing financial, emotional and family support once their pregnancies became known, making antenatal visits, delivery and postnatal care harder to manage.

One girl, identified as Annette and described as 16 and eight months pregnant, said the child’s father vanished after learning of the pregnancy. She said she has not been able to afford an ultrasound scan recommended during antenatal care. Another teenager, 17-year-old Loy, said she was pushed out of her home by her father after becoming pregnant and that the baby’s father also cut off contact. She now works in a salon to earn money while preparing for childbirth.

At Ntungamo Health Centre IV, midwife Flavia Niwamanya said 37 teenage mothers gave birth there in September 2026 alone. She said partner support is limited for many adolescent mothers and that some face serious childbirth complications, including severe tears that can lead to fistula. The article said these problems are worsened by poverty, school dropout and early marriage, which can limit girls’ options and make recovery after birth more difficult.

The broader issue matters because it links teenage pregnancy to maternal health risks, interrupted education and long-term economic hardship. As reported by Nile Post, the experience of these girls also highlights gaps in family and partner support around adolescent reproductive health.