Family planning mobilisation to mitigate teen pregnancies
HEALTH stakeholders have called for a countrywide joint community advocacy and mobilisation for youth reproductive health and family planning awareness in order to reduce teenage pregnancy and the associated health risks.
The stakeholders mentioned some of the risks as complications during delivery, abortion, maternal death as well as miscarriage.
They revealed that low awareness of reproductive health education and family planning among many teenagers leads them to taking wrong decisions including engaging in early sexual relationship.
The call was made on Wednesday, this week, by stakeholders during a symposium organised by Jhpiego, a US-based reproductive health organisation under its programme dubbed ‘The Challenge Initiative” (TCI).
The programme seeks to promote family planning and youth sexual reproductive health in highly populated region including Dar es Salaam and Mwanza.
Acting Mwanza Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Ms Esther Maziku, said with regular countrywide family planning and sexual reproductive education people will positively change.
“In order to end teen pregnancy and risk behavior such as prostitution, the family planning education is crucial; we need a clear strategy for youth to increase awareness over reproductive health,” she explained.
Adding: “youth should be the champion in achieving zero teen pregnancy in the country,”
Mwanza Regional Maternal and Child Health Service Coordinator, Ms Secilia Mrema, hinted that with the technical support and guidance, today Mwanza region has currently reduced maternal death by 48 per cent in 2022 comparing to 20 per cent decrease in 2019 when
the project kicked off in three councils namely Mwanza City Council, Ilemela Municipal Council and Nyamagana district council.
Ms Mrema said the region has been also supporting Reproductive Health Club in learning institutions both primary and secondary schools and universities.
She argued that students that knowledge as they mature to adulthood. They need to know how family planning works including the usage of modern contraceptive methods.
