A total of 21,114 pregnancies among unmarried teenagers aged 19 and below were recorded in Malaysia between 2019 and 2024, according to data from the Health Ministry.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri highlighted that her ministry has rolled out several initiatives to address the issue, including the Reproductive and Social Health Education (Pekerti) Policy and Action Plan.
“The plan is designed to raise awareness on reproductive health while cultivating a responsible and resilient society,” Nancy said in a written parliamentary reply. She explained that Pekerti emphasises developing positive and safe reproductive health skills through formal education in schools as well as informal learning outside the classroom.
Nancy was responding to a parliamentary question by Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN-Rantau Panjang) on unwed teenage pregnancies by age, gender, and race from 2019 to 2025.
She added that the Pekerti programme involves multiple ministries under the National Social Council and has been introduced at higher education institutions, expanded at community levels, and promoted through advocacy campaigns to increase reproductive health awareness.
Support services for youth are provided via the National Population and Family Development Board through KafeTEEN Adolescent Centres and the Sahabat KafeTEEN school programme. Nancy explained that KafeTEEN offers guidance and education to safeguard teenagers’ physical, mental, and social well-being.
Currently, these services are accessible through 18 KafeTEEN centres, a mobile outreach truck, and community programmes offering reproductive health clinics and psychosocial counselling. The programme’s reach is further enhanced by peer educator training under KafeTEEN clubs, which operate in 143 secondary schools in collaboration with the Education Ministry.
