KATAVI Region has recorded 277 deaths per 100,000 live births during the past year, it has been disclosed here. Acting Katavi Regional Medical Officer, Dr Obeid Mahenge, said the rate of maternal deaths in the region could be higher since many cases are not reported to relevant authorities.
Dr Mahenge revealed this during the
Youth Festival organized jointly by Marie Stopes Tanzania and the Office
of the Katavi Regional Medical Officer to sensitise the public on best
ways of using family planning methods. Secondary school students and
trainees from Mpanda Vocational Education Training Center (VETA)
attended the event.
Held on Saturday at Kashaulili Primary
School in Mpanda municipality, the fair attracted residents of the areas
who volunteered for HIV screening and sensitisation on family planning.
“Outdated beliefs and incorrect
information over family planning have created fear among women who
subsequently got unplanned pregnancies,” said Dr Mahenge.
He appealed to men to encourage their
spouses to adhere to the concept of child spacing as a way of improving
health. The Coordinator of the Marie Stopes Tanzania in the Southern
Highlands Zone, Noelia Mbeyela, said teenage pregnancies are becoming
prevalent in Katavi Region, thus contributing to school drop-outs.
“Adolescent pregnancies are dangerous for child mothers as they face
complications compared to old women,” she said.
Marie Stopes Tanzania Katavi Regional
Coordinator, Seif Mjuni, said family planning education arrived in the
region too late when the problem of teenage pregnancies had reached
alarming proportions.
Mpanda Municipal Deputy Mayor, Knoni
Lucas, praised Marie Stopes Tanzania, public institutions and other
stakeholders for sensitising and providing services and knowledge on
family planning methods to the public.
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