United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative, Duah Owusu-Sarfo has attributed high maternal complications among communities in rural areas to lack of information on sexual reproductive health matters.
Mr Owusu-Sarfo said there was need for intensive awareness sensitization in the communities on sexual reproductive matters.
He said if communities both females and males were equipped with knowledge on safe motherhood programmes such maternal complications and deaths could be prevented.
Mr Owusu-Sarfo who is on familiarization tour of North-Western province said this when he paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Mujimanzovu of the Kaonde people in Solwezi yesterday.
He told the chief that UNFPA would embark on sexual reproductive health programmes and other related programmes in his chiefdom to sensitize the communities.
Senior chief Mujimanzovu was highly elated and assured the UNFPA chief that he would always work with the organization saying issues of sexual reproductive health and family planning were very critical in his chiefdom.
He said it was saddening to note that all girls in his chiefdom who sat for grade nine last year got pregnant.
The chief said parents in his chiefdom need a lot of sensitization because they are fond of marrying off their school going children at tender age thereby denying them education and exposing them to maternal complications as most of them are too young to handle pregnancies.
ZANIS/WN/MKM/ENDS
These are the problems that our Minister of Health should be looking into. Who is he/she, by the way?
The minister of health is a he, Kapembwa Simabao, he is a former minister of supply. He did a very good job touring potholed roads in camera, he has started doing the same at health touring cholera centres. Is this the solution to these problems?
Poverty levels are too high in Zed and GRZ need to do something, this is why the girls are Shagid for food or money by these selfish boys and men [-x
The problem with rural couples is they think that sex in marriage is only meant to produce children and that children are a must in marriage.
It all comes down to education, and wareness programes must be put in place.
Good move.Let the program cover extensively the whole zed.
too much nyele among the luvales!
Mwayamba imisango….. ba Lady chiza’s fimo fimo.
iwe tawaitemwa? we all love ukuyenga
Sexual reproductive health matters should start with the girl-child at schools and respective Churches.
This pic. really reminds me of typical Zambian women at their best. A baby on the back with all the daily tasks/chores at hand. Whilst hubby is waiting for Nshima to be placed on the table… , and prepare hot water for him to bath… awe mwandi…..
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