800 GIRLS PREGNANT IN LUSANGAZI

(ZANIS) Close to 800 adolescent girls have fallen pregnant in the first quarter of this year in Lusangazi district of Eastern Province.

Lusangazi District Adolescent Focal Point Person, GIFT CHING’ANDU says out of the 775 teens, 510 pregnancies were recorded at 15 health facilities located in Sandwe Chiefdom while 265 were recorded at five health facilities in Nyamphande Chiefdom.

Mr. CHING’ANDU was speaking in Petauke during the adolescent technical working group meeting for the first quarter of 2023.

Mr. CHING’ANDU said the number of pregnancies may have been more because other girls may have not been registered for antenatal care at the time of data collection.

He further said during the same quarter,138 adolescent boys and girls tested positive to HIV and have since been placed on treatment while 97 tested positive to Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Mr. CHING’ANDU attributed the escalating pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases among the youths in Lusangazi to lack of recreation centers, youth friendly facilities, social activities and inspiration.

And speaking at the same meeting, Planner at the Lusangazi District Education Office, CHILELE ZULU said 24 school going pupils had fallen pregnant in the first quarter of 2023 from various schools in Lusangazi.

Ms. ZULU called on parents to work hand in hand with school authorities in safeguarding their children to stay away from vices and concentrate on education.

She said attaining an education is now easy following Government’s implementation of the free education policy.

And Lusangazi District Aids Coordinating Advisor PRECIOUS MACHISA said out of the 138 adolescents who tested positive to HIV, 45 are males while 93 are females.

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