First Lady challenges parents to teach girls reproductive health education

The First Lady, Salma Kikwete

The First Lady, Salma Kikwete, has challenged parents in Tanzania to complement teachers’ efforts in providing reproductive health education to school girls in an effort to curb early marriages and child pregnancies.

THE First lady, who is also the Chairperson of Women and Development Foundation (WAMA), made the call early this week in Dar es Salaam when launching a new campaign dubbed ‘Jilinde Utimize Ndoto Yako’.

She said parents should know that they have a role in addressing child pregnancies at a family level through talking and teaching their girls on reproductive health matters.

“Majority of the parents have left this big task to teachers without knowing that they are also responsible,” the first lady noted.

“Child pregnancies and early marriages can be controlled if parents are fully engaged in educating the girls…this can be done by talking and giving them tips on maternal health,” she added.

She said it is important for the girls to know their value in society and to also plan who they want to be in future.

“Girls need to be told clearly that they don’t have to engage in sexual relations while at school,” she said.

She decried the fact in Tanzania, 13 per cent of girls under the age of 15 are already engaged in sexual relations.

Dar es Salaam Region Commissioner Said Meck Sadick said Dar es Salaam as many other cities in the country faces high school drop rates due to early pregnancies.

Sadick noted that statistics from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare show the number of child pregnancies in Dar es Salaam Region has increased from 11,419 in 2012 up to 21,042 in 2013.

He mentioned some of the reasons that contribute to child pregnancies as long distance from home to schools which makes the girls vulnerable.

He said the government is working on plans to have public school buses and increase construction of dormitories for girl’s secondary schools.

Engender Health Technical Director, Feddy Mwanga noted that 53 per cent of children aged 19 years get pregnant every year. He said the occurrence disrupts their future because they are then forced to drop from school.

She said that situation has contributed to the increase of premature babies due to the fact that the young girl’s reproductive organs are not matured enough to carry a baby.

She said the organisation has managed to increase the number of youths accessing maternal health education from 30 per cent on 2009 up to 80 per cent this year.

Mwanga said they will continue providing support and giving maternal health education in every school across Dar es Salaam as a way of fighting against early pregnancies.
 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN