Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled that the age of
consent be raised from 16 years to 18 years. Tsholotsho District Medical Officer
Dr Mbonisi Nyathi revealed that out of a total of 205 deliveries recorded in
June, 24 percent were minors. The district was in the limelight last year when
a nine-year-old was impregnated by her 13-year-old cousin. Dr Nyathi said early
pregnancies were the leading cause of complications in young girls while giving
birth.
“In June, 49 (24 percent) deliveries were from girls 18
years and below, 22 (11 percent) of them were all 16 years and below. The
previous month, in May, we had a total of 186 deliveries and most of them were
under the age of 18, which shows the constant large numbers of young girls who
give birth in a month and most of them are juveniles.
Giving birth at a very young age brings out a lot of
complications to the mother and the unborn baby, as a result, most under-aged
mothers deliver via Caesarean section to try and avoid complications.”
He urged the community to introduce stakeholder engagement
and awareness campaigns to help stop young under-age girls from falling
pregnant. The Tsholotsho community has over the years raised complaints about
how cross-border transport operators take advantage of young girls when they
come to visit and leave them pregnant in many cases.
Some schools in Tsholotsho have come up with guidance and
counselling sessions that can help children make wise decisions that shape
their future positively. Early unintended pregnancies have led to a large
number of school dropouts, Sexually
Transmitted Infections, and they can also have negative
social and economic effects on girls, their families, and communities.
Zimbabwe is sitting on a 22 percent national teenage pregnancy
rate while the latest HIV prevalence rate is at about 11,8 percent, a worrying
trend as teenage pregnancy is increasing rapidly, health experts said. Sunday
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