Malawi: The cases of sexually transmitted infections including HIV have been seeing a marked increase in the last two years. The infection rates are increasing in the youngsters in the age group of 10 and 19 in Rumphi District.
Rumphi District Hospital has revealed the numbers of infections in the district. The officials claimed that cases of sexually transmitted infections for the youngsters between 10 and 19 years have increased.
The number of cases has gone from 211 in 2024 to 228 in 2025, and the number of teenage pregnancies has also increased from 444 in 2024 to 644 in 2025. According to the medical practitioner, 131 people are on antiretroviral therapy, up from 80 in 2024.
Rumphi District Hospital Youth Friendly Health Services coordinator, Tereza Singoyi has announced the numbers at Rumphi Youth Resource Centre. The on Friday when Nzatonse Project brought together various stakeholders to deliberate on sexual and reproductive health challenges the youth face in the district.
Singoyi has said that the rising numbers are due to several issues. The officials have shared that there are a limited number of facilities with trained youth friendly services providers.
Other issues include hilly terrain in several communities which makes it difficult for the youth to access healthcare services among others. The officials have shared that it is important for the authorities to make sure that the communities can access quality healthcare.
District Coordinator for Nzatonse Project in Rumphi, Tumpale Kangere has shared that through the project they are striving to create a conducive environment. Through this project, the administration seeks youth to access sexual and reproductive health services.
The administration also wants to provide mental health services, in order to curb the challenge of unplanned pregnancies, causing school dropout among girls.
The Nzatonse project is being implemented by the Livingstonia Synod Health Department, in collaboration with the ACT Alliance, led by Norwegian Church Aid and Dane Church Aid joint country programme, with funding from the German government through KfW.