The Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) said teenage pregnancies are prevalent in mining communities. The ZGC also raised concerns about the poor condition of maternity waiting shelters in rural areas.
In a study assessing the experiences of pregnant women in six rural provinces, including Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South, the ZGC found that 211 expectant mothers under the age of 18 were recorded at 13 health facilities over a year. Reads the report:
<blockquote>
The Commission also noted relatively high statistics of girls below the age of 18 being admitted at the maternity waiting homes.
A total of 211 expecting mothers below 18 years were recorded in the period of 12 months at 13 health institutions visited, with health institutions in mining communities recording higher cases of teenage pregnancies.
</blockquote>
The report revealed that maternity waiting shelters, created by the government to help pregnant women reach healthcare facilities more easily, are in bad condition and lack proper security. Reads the report:
<blockquote>
A total of 24 health institutions were assessed across six provinces; Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Matabeleland North, and Matabeleland South.
Issues noted included dilapidated infrastructure, poor living conditions, lack of nutritional support, shortage of skilled personnel, and high-security concerns around the maternity waiting homes.
</blockquote>
The ZGC recommended improving waiting shelters and adding support services for survivors of gender-based violence, including counselling.
Health Deputy Minister Sleiman Timios Kwidini said the government is upgrading maternity waiting shelters and building new clinics in rural areas with devolution funds. Said Kwidini:
<blockquote>
The waiting shelters for expecting mothers are temporary shelters and as a ministry, we are working towards standardising some of them to make it comfortable for women as they come to deliver.
They were designed to ensure that women do not travel long distances when coming to deliver. They aim to reduce home deliveries which can come with complications that put women’s health at risk.
</blockquote>
Itai Rusike, the executive director of the Community Health Working Group, told <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/alarming-teenage-pregnancy-rates-in-mining-communities/">Chronicle</a> that although there has been some improvement in maternal health, the government needs to support clinics in urban areas. He said:
<blockquote>
When facilities lack waiting mothers’ shelters, pregnant women may be discouraged from seeking care due to the costs of staying at the facility or the absence of proper accommodation.
Delays in seeking help are a major issue, which is why maternal and child health activities, community engagement, and health education must be strengthened…
The Government should provide health grants to urban local authorities to enable them to fully implement the free user fee policy for pregnant women.
This would prevent the collapse of urban clinics, which currently rely on user fees for operational costs.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The Zimbabwe Gender Commission found that many teenage girls in mining communities are getting pregnant. They also discovered that maternity waiting shelters in rural areas are in bad condition. The government is working to upgrade these shelters and build new clinics to help pregnant women. The Commission suggested adding support services for survivors of gender-based violence. It is important for pregnant women to have access to proper healthcare facilities to avoid complications during childbirth. The government needs to support clinics in urban areas as well to improve maternal health.

Teenage Pregnancies Rampant In Mining Communities, Says Gender Commission

Bishop Rocky Moyo, the president of the Council of Churches in Africa, has urged the church, particularly traditional churches, to discuss sex issues, rather than leave the youth and teenagers at the mercy of misleading information from the internet.
Moyo said newspapers are full of reports about teenage pregnancies and teenagers who have joined the sex work industry, and this is partly attributable to the church’s failure to discuss sex issues. Moyo said (via <a href="https://bmetro.co.zw/preach-about-sex-in-churches-bishop/">B-Metro</a>):
<blockquote>
I’m an avid newspaper reader, so I keep up to date with current affairs. One issue that has hit me hard is the issue of teenagers falling pregnant, after that, they stop coming to church and some adopt delinquent behaviours and join the sex work industry.
In some cases, after the teen falls pregnant, she drops out of school. Some youths desert their families while some stop attending church services as they would be depressed and ashamed of being labelled all sorts of names.
Some of the church members are the reason behind the depression as they are quick to accuse the girl of being promiscuous, but they do not blame the boy who would have impregnated the girl.
</blockquote>
Moyo said churches should have literature on sex that is specifically tailored for teenagers as this will help them make informed decisions rather than letting them rely on internet information.
A Brethren in Christ Church (BICC) reverend who chose not to be named told B-Metro that the issue of sex is rarely discussed at their church. Said the cleric:
<blockquote>
At our church, the issue of sex is rarely discussed and is discussed at Youth camps only and that is once or twice a year.
Sadly, some of the youths do not attend camps and they are left at the mercy of wrong information.
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Moyo said some churches find it difficult to discuss the issue as parents and their children would be in the same room.
Zimbabwe’s teenage pregnancy rate stands at approximately 22%, placing the country at position 28 out of 54 on UNICEF’s early childbearing list.
Teenage pregnancy has significant psycho-social, economic, development, and health costs.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Church Bishop Calls For Sex Education In Churches

More than 4 000 girls aged between 10 and 14 years fell pregnant and were booked to deliver babies at health institutions in Zimbabwe between 2019 and 2021.
This was revealed in the National Assessment on Adolescent Pregnancies in Zimbabwe report based on a study by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in conjunction with UNICEF and UNESCO. <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/over-4-000-girls-below-14-give-birth">Part of the report reads</a>:
<blockquote>
An estimated 1 706 946 ANC (antenatal care) bookings were made in 1 560 health care facilities captured in the DHIS (Demographic and Health Survey) platform across the study period (four years, January 2019 to December 2022).
Of these 0,2 percent (4 070) were among the age groups 10-14 years; 21 percent (355 962) among 15-19 years; 28 percent (473 475) among the 20-24 years; 21 percent (357 328) among the 25-29 and 30 percent (516 111) above 30 years.
2021 had the highest number of pregnant adolescent girls aged 10-14 years.
21 percent of ANC booking from 2019-2022 were among adolescents aged 10-19 years.
</blockquote>
The report attributes the increasing incidences of pregnancy among adolescents to the closure of schools and a reported rise in cases of domestic violence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, a total of 1 532 maternal deaths were recorded and of these, 376 (25 percent) were among adolescents and young women under 24 years between 2019 and 2021.
Some of the pregnant adolescent girls were testing positive for HIV upon booking at antenatal clinics. Says the report:
<blockquote>
Of the estimated 50 957 pregnant women newly testing HIV positive, 0,1 percent were among adolescents aged 10-14 years.
About 0,2 percent of adolescents aged 10-14 years old tested HIV positive in 2021, compared to 0,04 percent in 2019; 0,1 percent in 2020; and 0,04 percent in 2022.
</blockquote>
The study also found that 30 percent of adolescent girls were sexually active, with about 31 percent (134) reported having had forced intercourse in their first sexual encounter.
The report revealed that approximately 75 percent (315) of the first sexual encounter was with boyfriends, only 23 percent (97) with husbands, 1,5 percent (10) with strangers, 0,8 percent (6) with relatives, and 0,1 percent (2) with casual partners.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Over 4 000 Girls Below 14 Fell Pregnant Between 2019 And 2021

Ruth Labode, a Member of Parliament from Matabeleland North Province, has demanded that the Ministry of Health take immediate and drastic action to prevent child pregnancies.
This follows the release of a report by the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) showing that about 700 girls under the age of 15 gave birth in the country in 2022.
Labode raised the matter in Parliament recently and requested Health Minister Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to bring a Ministerial Statement outlining his strategy to curb the scourge of child pregnancies. She said:
<blockquote>
I am making reference to the Zimbabwe Statistics. Disaggregated data on the Distribution of Births by Age of Mother released during the launch of the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (ZimStats) Vital Statistics Report shows that 700 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth in 2022. What does this say about this country?
Could the Minister of Health and Child Care bring a Ministerial Statement and tell us what strategy they have to curb this scourge of teenage pregnancies? A ten-year-old is not a teenager but a baby.
</blockquote>
In response, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa, said:
<blockquote>
This question touches a lot of Zimbabweans, in particular a lot of women. The issue of teenage pregnancies is an issue that the whole country is seized with.
The Government is seized with it and the Ministry of Health is putting a lot of strategies that they would need to articulate in this House.
I think it is in order when the Hon. Member asked for a Ministerial Statement which will articulate step by step what they are doing.
To have 700 young girls aged 10 to 14 getting pregnant is very sad. A ten-year-old is a child and what has gone wrong with our people?
This is an issue that is not going to be just dealt with by the Ministry of Health alone but by inter-ministerial strategy.
This is something that we need to understand from the Home Affairs Ministry to see how many people have been jailed or castrated if they need to be.
</blockquote>
Mutsvangwa assured Parliament that measures will be taken to deal with the perpetrators and also asked for unity of purpose in dealing with the vice. She said:
<blockquote>
I think there is an element of madness that needs to be dealt with; an element of cruelty or animal behavior that needs to be dealt with.
Penalties should be quite high. I would obviously take this up with my colleagues.
We need to get that report and I certainly agree with her so that at least we can work together as a country.
It is about all of us as leaders in the areas where we live. It is also about us as parents working together, united as Zimbabweans to fight against this evil.
</blockquote>
According to Plan International, some of the causes of teenage pregnancies include a lack of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights, inadequate access to services tailored to young people, family, community and social pressure to marry, sexual violence, forced marriage, which can be both a cause and a consequence and a lack of education or school drop-out.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

700 Underage Girls Gave Birth In 2022 - Zimstat

Police have taken into custody the father of the nine-year-old girl from Tsholotsho who is eight months pregnant and currently admitted at United Bulawayo Hospitals.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi was quoted as saying the father of the child is in police custody to assist with investigations into the rape case. Said Asst Comm Nyathi:
<blockquote>
The father of the nine-year-old who is pregnant at the United Bulawayo Hospitals is in police custody assisting in the investigations of this issue.
As police, we are engrossed with this issue so that we get evidence on the perpetrator of the alleged rape.
</blockquote>
The Chief of the area where the child comes from, Chief Gampu was reported as saying the child is refusing to reveal the name of the man who raped her. Chief Gampu said:
<blockquote>
As the leader of this community, I’m really worried about what happened to this child as she’s too young to become a parent.
Measures have been taken to get the child to open up about who exactly sexually harassed her but she’s not revealing anything to show that she was intimidated by the perpetrator not to say anything.
The pregnancy was revealed after she was taken to Tsholotsho Hospital as she was complaining about stomach pain. The doctor examined her only to find out she was pregnant.
From the hospital, they came to inform me about the jaw-dropping incident when I told them the issue was a police case.
For now, the father of the child is with the police helping with investigations.
</blockquote>
Family members have reportedly asked prophets to reveal the identity of the rapist, and if that fails, they will go for DNA tests once the child delivers the baby. Said a source:
<blockquote>
Family members realised that the only way to get the truth would be to gather each and every male’s DNA samples who once stayed with the family and neighbours so as to determine the perpetrator.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/police-pickup-father-of-pregnant-nine-year-old/">The Sunday News</a>

Police Detain Father Of Pregnant Nine-year-old

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care chairperson Ruth Labode said that the levels of teenage pregnancies in Zimbabwe have reached epidemic levels, with thousands of teenagers forced to quit school after falling pregnant.
Contributing to a discussion in the National Assembly on Wednesday on what action responsible authorities must take regarding underage children who die while giving birth, Labode said the scourge of teenage pregnancies will not end unless urgent action is taken. She said:
<blockquote>
Madam Speaker, I am hurt and shocked that the levels of teenage pregnancies in Zimbabwe have reached epidemic levels and for us to sit here and pretend there is a social norm or a family core that will deal with that issue is very sad.
I remember Minister (Sithembiso) Nyoni came to this House and presented a report of 55 000 teenage girls who got pregnant within a month.
The report on Education said 10 000 teenage girls left school because of pregnancies and we sit here and pretend it is something that will just disappear.
What I am saying is that we have a serious problem at hand.
We need to do everything within our power and deal with Section 35 of the Public Health Act.
We know that our young women are indulging in sex. Why do we want to pretend that they should not go to health facilities and get that service that can serve them? We have to do something.
</blockquote>
This follows the death of a Grade 7 pupil from Katanga, Norton, a small town in Mashonaland West Province, who died while giving birth in Bikita on 04 October 2022.
Nokutenda Hwaramba, who was 15, died at an apostolic church shrine while giving birth.
In July 2021, 14-year-old Anna Machaya died while giving birth at an apostolic shrine in Marange.
In January 2022, 15-year-old Ferby Munyafi of Chiadzwa Village in Marange died from excessive bleeding while delivering. |<a href="https://cite.org.zw/teenage-pregnancies-have-reached-epidemic-levels-labode/"> CITE</a>

Teenage Pregnancies Have Reached Epidemic Levels - Labode

Masvingo Province has recorded a decrease in teenage pregnancies in the past few years in three of its seven districts namely Zaka, Bikita and Chiredzi.
According to the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) office in Masvingo, Bikita recorded 2 085 cases in 2019 reduced to 1 200 in 2021, Chiredzi had 1 980 in 2019 and 1 300 in 2021 and Zaka has witnessed a decrease from 1 329 in 2019 to 1 200 in 2021.
ZNFPC Provincial marketing and Communications Officer Herbert Chikosi attributed the downward trend for the province to efforts from ZNFPC and partners like the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, SolidaMed and Ministry of Health and Child Care. Said Chikosi:
<blockquote>
It is our commitment as Zimbabwe to ensure that we stay within the vision that every pregnancy is wanted.
It’s our commitment to improve awareness of contraception with more emphasis on enabling young people to make informed decisions on sexual reproductive health.
As a province, our effort has been to fight child marriages and teenage pregnancies. There is a significant improvement in terms of access to contraceptives amongst young people.
We were targeting four districts namely Zaka, Bikita and Chiredzi as well as Masvingo from 2021-2022 and based on statistics, there was an improvement in terms of access to Long Act Reversible Contraceptives- (LARCs) with the support from SolidaMed. We have also pushed for the girl child to be in school.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://tellzim.com/masvingo-records-decrease-in-teen-pregnancies-znfpc/">TellZim News</a>

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