The City of Bulawayo has recorded worrying statistics at its clinics where twelve children between the ages of 10 to 14 years were impregnated between January and August this year.
An additional seven pregnant children in the same age group were recorded at Mpilo Central and United Bulawayo Hospitals meaning 19 children aged 10 to 14 years of age were impregnated in Bulawayo.
Bulawayo also recorded 1166 children between the ages of 15 to 19 years who were impregnated during the same period.
This was revealed during a National Aids Council stakeholders meeting attended by the city councillors and officials.
NAC gave a countrywide situational analysis showing that despite Bulawayo having worrying child pregnancy statistics, the city had the lowest figures in the whole of Zimbabwe.
According to the council’s clinic districts, Emakhandeni had five children between the ages 10 to 14 being pregnant, Nkulumane having four while Northern Suburbs district had three children. Emakhandeni district covers Emakhandeni Clinic, Cowdray Park Clinic, Cowdray Health Centre, Luveve Clinic, Pumula Clinic, Pumula South and Njube.
Health services director, Edwin Mzingwane Sibanda, said the statistics could be higher than what was projected as not all cases are presented to the health facilities.
“The 1166 is part of the numbers of those who come to the clinics,” Sibanda said.
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“We have those cases where pregnancies are terminated without reaching hospitals.
“So the number we are seeing is part of the statistics.
“Going forward we will also be approaching private facilities so as to get a clearer picture of the situation across the city.”
He said the city will in future segregate the numbers for those 17 years and below to give a clearer picture on individuals that are having sex with minors.
“Those who are under 17 years of age are underage and the police have to intervene,” he said.
“It’s not easy to reveal who is impregnating them.
“The community is evasive on who is impregnating them.”
Bulawayo deputy mayor Councillor, Edwin Ndlovu, expressed concern over the high number of child pregnancies in the city.
He said Bulawayo needs to be aggressive in implementing strategies to prevent child pregnancies that expose them to the risk of contracting HIV.
“The biggest problem we have is poverty,” Ndlovu said.
“As council, government through its department of social development among other agencies, we should go into communities and identify vulnerable children and come up with ways of helping them.
“By looking at the statistics, we are trying to solve symptoms of a problem that has already been established.
“I propose that we engage each other seriously and because their lives have been seriously affected.”
Ndlovu said even those who are aged 19 years are still too young to understand the institution of marriage.
“If you are to get married at the age of 19 years, you are yet to understand what love and marriage is about,” he said.
“You will be responding to lust without understanding the institution that you are involving yourself in.
“Marriage needs mature people, maybe 25 years and above and as a nation, let’s address the reason why the children are being impregnated.”
Councillor Khalazani Ndlovu said while the children reported to certain clinics, it was a city wide problem to have minors being impregnated.
“This is a citywide problem, it is not a problem of a certain ward or area,” the councillor said.
“We can have someone coming from Cowdray Park being registered in Mzilikazi as parents wouldn’t want them to register at a local clinic, taking them to a totally different ward to shy away from the communities that know them.”
Officials from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education also made a presentation during the workshop showing that 58 pupils were impregnated between January and August.
From the impregnated girls, only 27 returned to school after making deliveries.
Other councillors raised concern over the teenage pregnancy situation including the issue of drugs and substance abuse.
NAC Bulawayo provincial manager Mrs Sinatra Nyathi, said collaborative efforts were required in addressing teenage pregnancies as well as drug and substance related problems.-Masiyephambili
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