Matebeleland South grapples with high teenage pregnancy rate

Stakeholders in Matabeleland South have raised alarm over persistently high teenage pregnancy rates in the province, with the prevalence now standing at 27 percent, significantly above the national average of 23 percent.

The figures have intensified concerns about early sexual activity, child sexual exploitation, school dropouts and the limited uptake of reproductive health services among young people.

According to the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), approximately 40 percent of the province's 190,000 women of reproductive age are not using modern contraceptive methods, leaving many outside formal family planning programmes and potentially vulnerable to unintended pregnancies.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Provincial Social Development, Gender and Social Protection Pillar meeting, ZNFPC Matabeleland South provincial manager Blessed Gumbi said the high teenage pregnancy rate points to growing concerns about unprotected sexual activity among adolescents.

"What is particularly worrying in Matabeleland South is the teenage pregnancy rate, which stands at 27 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 23 percent. This suggests that many young people are becoming sexually active at an early age and, in many cases, without adequate protection, exposing them to a range of challenges, including school dropouts, sexually transmitted infections and HIV," said Gumbi.

He said addressing the challenge requires a multi-sectoral approach that includes strengthening community awareness programmes, improving access to reproductive health services and increasing male participation in family planning initiatives.

Gumbi noted that low male involvement remains a significant obstacle in promoting responsible family planning practices.

"Low male involvement is also worrisome because when we are talking about family planning, we are referring to a family unit that needs a man and a woman. We have limited or very low male involvement, which has at times resulted in issues of intimate partner violence, which is one of the ills we are trying to curb as a province," he said.

Despite the challenges, Gumbi said the province has recorded progress in the uptake of family planning services, attributing the gains to increased awareness and the growing empowerment of women to make informed reproductive health decisions.

He revealed that approximately 118,000 women, representing about 60 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 years, are currently using modern contraceptive methods.

However, he noted that contraceptive use in the province remains heavily concentrated in short-term methods such as oral contraceptive pills, Depo Provera injections and Sayana Press.

"We have 190,000 women of childbearing age in the province. Out of those, about 118,000 are on a modern method of contraception, which translates to about 60 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49," said Gumbi.

"That means 40 percent of women in the reproductive age group are using natural methods of family planning. The challenge is that these have not been scientifically proven and their success rates are not known."

He said misconceptions, stigma and limited information about available family planning options continue to hinder uptake of services in some communities. Gender dynamics also remain a challenge, with some women still required to seek permission from their spouses before accessing contraception.

To address these barriers, the ZNFPC has intensified community outreach programmes and is working with male family planning champions and partner organisations to promote behaviour change and encourage greater male participation.

Meanwhile, Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director Andrew Muza said the Ministry of Health and Child Care has strengthened maternal healthcare services and expanded access to reproductive health interventions across the province.

"As a province, we have made significant progress in improving access to care. This is one of the key pillars of service delivery and includes strengthening health infrastructure. We have upgraded our theatres to cater for pregnant women and trained healthcare personnel to manage complications during pregnancy, including cases involving teenagers," said Muza.

Health officials say while progress has been made in expanding access to reproductive health services, sustained efforts involving families, communities, schools and healthcare providers will be critical to reducing teenage pregnancies and improving health outcomes for young people in the province.