A total of 6,090 Panama school children  aged 10 to 19 years-of-age entered prenatal care, in the first semester of 2018 reports the Ministry of Health (Minsa),

The increase of 308  over the same period last year does not include cases in private hospitals or the Social Security  system (CSS) hospitals says the Ministry.

Highest incidence
The report lists cases in the Ngäbe Buglé (1,953), San Miguelito (1,022)and Chiriquí (924) as the regions with the highest incidence of  pregnancies .

Rubiela Sánchez, sociologist and member of the Panamanian Coalition for Integral Education in Sexuality, said that the figures show the need for public prevention policies.In the last 10 years the entire state apparatus, and health institutions of  has "failed" in this task, like society, which is indifferent before the facts she said.

Luis Sagel, of the Panamanian Alliance for Life and Family, said that education and prevention actions, are but  "there has been no attitudinal policy "to address the issue.

In recent years, a debate has been reported in the country on the subject of sexual education in schools but it has been blocked by the Catholic Church which is able to call thousands of people to the streets to oppose changes.