726 Mutare girls impregnated in six months
YOLANDA SIMANGO
CHIPINGE TIMES REPORTER
MUTARE-Some 726 girls’ aged 15-19 fell pregnant in Mutare district alone in the first half of 2023, Mutare National Aids Council of Zimbabwe (NAC) District Aids Admire Takawira has said.
He said the alarming figures are in Mutare rural and the main causes are mushrooming bush boarding school, apostolic sects and illegal mining activities. Takawira also highlighted that the rural areas recorded an alarming 1 087 Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) cases in the second quarter of the year.
Takawira said this during a Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) Sexual Reproductive Health 2023 second quarter meeting. The meeting also served as a NAC second quarter feedback meeting. It was held at the ZNFPC boardroom on Friday last week.
Mutare Urban recorded 81 pregnancies in the second quarter of the year. A minor in the 10-14 year age group is receiving antenatal care at Sakubva Clinic.
“There are several factors leading to such high numbers, among them we have mushrooming bush boarding schools, illegal mining activities in areas as Chiadzwa and apostolic sects,” said Takawira.
Representatives from ZNFPC, Simukai, Ministry of Health and Childcare and Mutare Polytechnic among other institutions which deal with teenage pregnancies, young women and distribution of HIV and Aids preventive materials attended the engagement meeting.
In the urban area, Sakubva Clinic recorded 31 pregnancies, Hobhouse Clinic 14, Chikanga Clinic 12 and Mutare City and Dangamvura clinics nine each, Fern Valley and Florida clinics three cases each.
Manicaland ZNFPC marketing and communication manager Daniel Maromo said there is need to educate girls on reproductive health, abstinence and pregnancy preventive measures.
“The figures are worrisome. Young girls should be educated. Unplanned pregnancies should be reduced. We should work together to ensure that we don’t record high numbers of these cases,” he said.
HIV and Aids hotspots in Mutare are Nyagundi, Chiadzwa, Bokorenhema, Zimunya, Beverly Bridge, Dora and Nyamazura.
