The Non-governmental Gender Organizations’ Coordinating Council has noted with concern the alarming number of more than 4,000 adolescent girls that fell pregnant in Lundazi District of the Eastern Province.
NGOCC Executive Director Engwase Mwale said the increased levels of teenage pregnancies point to a deepening problem not only in Lundazi but in society as a whole.
According to the Lundazi District Health Director Davy Zulu, a total of 4,124 adolescent girls accessed antenatal care services between January and December 2018 in the 52 health facilities of the district.
Mrs. Mwale said the NGOCC is deeply saddened with this development as it negatively affects the girl children.
She noted that without doubt the increased cases of teenage pregnancies will not only have socio-economic effects on the affected girls, but their health as well.
“It is a fact that because of the teenage pregnancies, some of the girls will drop out of the education system and thus depriving them of their potential to pursue careers that can enhance their livelihoods.Further, as a result of this sad revelation, the girls are exposed to other physical, mental and psychological health complications associated with early pregnancies”, she added.
She has since called on government and other civil society organisations in Eastern province to accelerate provision of age-appropriate sexuality education to learners and children at an early age in order to ensure that adequate and timely information on sexual and reproductive health and rights is accessed by both in and out of school youths.
Mrs. Mwale said in addition NGOCC is calling upon government to prioritize school based guidance and counselling services including community role modelling mechanisms through the relevant ministries.
She said NGOCC is currently also engaging it’s network members in Eastern province and Lundazi in particular, to help in accelerating public sensitization and awareness raising interventions especially targeting the young girls on the negative effects of teenage pregnancies.
Mrs. Mwale expressed hope that this sad situation will necessitate collective and more holistic focus on redressing the vulnerability of girls and young women, especially in rural areas.
4,124 girls fell pregnant in a single calendar year in a remote district of Lundazi.
Come on now, is this for real or an exaggeration? First the coincidence is just remarkable… and secondly I doubt there are even that many girls in the district and who is sleeping with them anyway? Teachers, boys, uncles, etc.?
If this is all true then it is quite remarkable indeed.
And I take some exception to this organisation NGOCC calling on the govt to do more… yes while I do agree but what about them NGOCC and other NGOs? What are there for this organisations who receive massive amounts of donor funding, what are they doing? They should be out there educating the people alongside the govt. It’s about time some things are done by NGOs as opposed to govt, govt, govt all the time!
Sounds bad, but please consider making small condoms for those teens.
And close NGOs who always take about seex and not gardening.
What kind of Christian nation is this. This is Gomorrah.
Despite the bridge having been washed away he-goats still managed to cross into Lundazi? What stubbornness runs in the veins of h0rny men! Or is it that chidyelano has refused to go away despite the ban?
You can stop people from doing other things in life but having sex you can NEVER stop them. It is as natural as eating.Just intensify sex education in rural areas
This is fake news. There’s no 4000 girls getting pregnant
Total government stupidity. Why are you building palaces for chiefs??? This is their FIRST responsibility. They need to be accountable to their society by making sure that practices which are detrimental to future national development are not continued in their villages. The PARAMOUNT CHIEFs should convene meetings with their village chiefs and headmen to educate them on the detrimental effect on children raising children period.
Expecting NGOs is stupid. Asking outsiders to come and solve your problems does not work because the problem will continue after the outsider leave.
Hard to believe in this breaking news. How many districts are there in Zambia? Teenage pregnancies. Oh, my foot. Another fake, fake, fake, fake news. DHD with due respect, don’t alarm us with this type of data. Lundazi district can never have such teenage pregnancies given it’s demographic data and within the reported period.
Its indeed a sad situation, if there are NGO whose primary objectives are to sensitise and school young girls on the negative effects of premarital sex. with all those external and internal funding.please for Christ sake they have to stand up, rather than working for their own selfish gain while using the flag of the masses.