Emakhandeni records alarming teenage pregnancy rate
THE Emakhandeni Health District in Bulawayo has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the city, it has emerged.
Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC) P1 Pregnant women booking for the antenatal care statistics of 2023 states that nine girls aged between 10 and 14 years got pregnant, while 1 152 teenagers between 15 and 19 years old were recorded as expecting mothers in that health district.
Luveve MP Discent Bajila expressed worry over the records, implicating alcohol as a major contributor to the issue.
“First and foremost, if you check around Bulawayo, the most prominent alcohol drinking spaces are actually in the Emakhandeni health district,” he said.
“Therefore, it speaks to the possibility of underage young people indulging in alcohol and unprotected sex after participating in these alcohol binges.
“It needs a whole of society approach for communities, churches and us in the legislature to come forth and say no to teenage pregnancies; these are girls they are not brides.”
Bajila also cited the breakdown of family units as another problem, noting that many parents reside outside the country, leaving children without proper guidance and vulnerable to exploitation.
“You will understand that Cowdray Park and Pumula South lead in terms of having broken families because some of the people reside in the diaspora.
“So the family is broken down and there is no parental guidance for children and, therefore, some people are taking chances with children.”
The Emakhandeni Health District covers Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni, Luveve, Magwegwe, Njube and Pumula clinics.
Meanwhile, Bajila is eyeing a one-day interdenominational summit on teenage pregnancies for churches in his constituency, where stakeholders like city health, local clinics, churches, police, councillors, Members of Parliament among others will engage. Southern Eye
