775 TEENS IMPREGNATED IN LUSANGAZI
ABOUT 775 adolescent girls, from as young as 10, have fallen pregnant in the first quarter of 2023 in Lusangazi district of Eastern Province.
Lusangazi District Adolescent Focal Point Person, Gift Ching'andu said out of the 775 teens, 510 pregnancies were recorded at 15 health facilities located in Sandwe Chiefdom while 265 were recorded at five health facilities in Nyamphande Chiefdom. Mr Ching'andu was speaking in Petauke recently during the adolescent technical working group meeting for the first quarter of 2023.
“In the first quarter of 2023, 15 health facilities based in Sandwe Chiefdom recorded 510 pregnancies while five health facilities in Nyamphande recorded 265 pregnancies in the period under review," he said.
Mr Ching'andu said the number of pregnancies may have been more because other girls may have not registered for antenatal health care at the time of data collection.
Mr Ching'andu said during the same quarter, a total of 138 adolescent boys and girls tested positive to HIV and have since been placed on treatment while 97 tested positive to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). He has attributed the escalating pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases among the youths in Lusangazi to lack of recreation centers, youth friendly facilities, social activities and inspiration from people close to them.
The District Adolescent Focal Point Person has since asked for support from Non-governmental Organisations and other well-wishers to partner with the adolescent technical working group in Lusangazi in order to assist with curbing the vices among the adolescents.
And speaking at the same meeting, Planner at the Lusangazi District Education Office, Chilele Zulu said 24 school going pupils had fallen pregnant in the first quarter of 2023 from various schools in Lusangazi.
Ms Zulu called on parents to work hand in hand with school authorities in safeguarding their children to stay away from bad vices and concentrate on education. She said attaining an education is now easy following Government’s implementation of the free education policy that allows every child to attain a good education. Ms. Zulu added that Government has also included the Keeping Girls in school (KGS) Program to further sponsor girl children.
She also appreciated partnerships between government and stakeholders like Care International in implementing programs aimed at re-entering those who drop out of school, including girls who stopped after falling pregnant.