Zambia: Mambwe District in Eastern Province has recorded a reduction in the number of teenage pregnancies in comparison to the previous year. The authorities are expressing their delight on the positive development for the betterment of the society.
The administration appreciated stakeholders involved in the sensitization of the community, especially the youth. The reduction in teenage pregnancies was recorded after the stakeholders introduced safe sexual and reproductive practices to the communities.
Mambwe District AIDS Coordination Advisor Dalitso Daka says 25 teenage pregnancies were recorded from the first to the third quarter of 2023. When compared to the previous year, 65 teenage pregnancies were recorded the same time frame in 2022.
According to Mambwe District AIDS Coordination Advisor, eight girls out of the 25 who had fallen pregnant in 2023 went back to school.
“The reduction in teenage pregnancies may be attributed to effective sexual reproductive health programmes. The initiatives are being carried-out by Cooperating partners such as Restless Development and Plan international. Daka believes that the initiatives had a significant impact on adolescents.“ he said.
The District AIDS Coordination Advisor is, however saddened with the increased number of HIV/AIDS prevalence among adolescents in the area.
The number of teenagers testing positive for HIV/AIDS has seen an increase as compared to figures from the previous year. The reproductive health stakeholders of the district have termed this increase worrisome.
According to him, a total of 158 adolescents aged between 10 and 14 years tested positive for the HIV virus at the end of the third quarter of 2023. This is against 155 adolescents that tested positive in the year 2022.
Further he added that a total of 196 adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years old tested HIV positive at the end of third quarter of 2023. As compared to 2022, the number has increased by five.
The official revealed that currently 6,437 people are on anti-retroviral therapy in Mambwe district. Further, Daka observed that sensitisation on HIV/AIDS prevention needs to continue if the alarming numbers of HIV in the area were to go down.