Health experts in Blantyre said limited access to contraceptives and limited information on sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) and school dropout among teens are major contributing factors to teenage motherhood that are also associated with birth complications.
Director of Health and Youth Services at Blantyre District Council, Gift Kawalazila told Malawi News Agency on Thursday that Blantyre district has almost 48 percent population of teen mothers as most teenagers who are below 15 are sexually active due to lack of advocacy on sexual reproductive health and cultural beliefs and religious doctrines.
“Blantyre district is experiencing increase of teenage pregnancies due to inadequate reproductive health services at community level which are hindering teen girls in accessing sexual reproductive healthy materials which in long run result to teen pregnancies eventually becoming mothers,” said Kawalazila.
He added that in 2022 the district registered 9,519 cases of teenage mothers while in 2023 the cases rose up to 9,809 as a result of a number of factors ranging from social and cultural norms to lack of correct information on SRHR.
In separate interview, Executive Director for Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) Donald Makwawa said the association observed that limited availability of the services in rural areas, lack of correct information on SRHR are the major factors to teen motherhood.
“As FPAM we are working hand in hand with the Ministry of Health to design information education and communication materials that should raise awareness and create demand for contraceptives which will in turn reduce teenage pregnancies,” he added
He said there is also need to engage religious and traditional leaders on sexual reproductive health so that they should advocate usage of contraceptives among sexually active teens.
The two health experts therefore for asked the review of Youth Friendly Health Services programs to reach out to many youths to deal with teen motherhood.
One of the teen mothers in at Mbayani in Blantyre said she got pregnant at the age of 14 in 2023 while in standard five at a primary in Chilomomi Township.
“My mother did not notice that l was pregnant because she spent most of her times at work. For the first three months l was still attending classes and didn’t realise l was pregnant because l was still menstruating but later my neighbour informed me that l was pregnant,” she added.
The girl who has a nine months old baby girl confessed that the got pregnant due to peer pressure and had no access to information on sexual reproductive health.
“It was not easy to give birth. I experience serious complications during labour because l was not yet mature and stronger to give birth as a result, I underwent caesarian section,” she said, adding that she stayed in hospital for more than three weeks for proper recovery.
The girl explained that after recovery, she started routine checkups at her nearest health facility and this is where she access information about SRHR to avoid another teen pregnancy.
