Cambridgeshire has seen a drop in teenage pregnancies, according to a new report.

he news ties in with a national trend of a dip to the lowest ever number of young women in England falling pregnant under the age of 18.

The rate for Cambridgeshire is the lowest in the region when compared with other county council areas.

Chief officers at Cambridgeshire County Council have welcomed the report from Public Health England and are committed to lowering the rate further.

Val Thomas, Consultant in Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Teenage pregnancy and parenthood involves complex factors including poverty, low educational attainment, mental health and aspiration. We will be continuing to work with a range of partners to ensure we target the most vulnerable in our communities to ensure that this improvement is maintained.”

County Councillor Tony Orgee, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, added, “Helping young people understand the importance of contraception and what parenthood entails is something Cambridgeshire County Council is committed to. We want to make sure where possible that all our young people have opportunities to fulfil their potential.”

According to the report, Cambridgeshire had 181 pregnancies for this age group during 2012 or around 17 per 1000 people.

In 2011, the rate was 238 or around 22 per 1000 people. The number per thousand in England was just below 28.

There are a range of initiatives tackling teenage pregnancy in the county involving different organisations working within communities.

These include supporting young people to understand the implications of pregnancy, providing services to help them avoid becoming pregnant and helping young parents to take responsibility for caring for their children.