KATAVI Region is leading with teenage pregnancy, with a prevalence of 45 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children.
Next (percentage in brackets) are Tabora
(43), Dodoma (39), Mara (37) and Shinyanga (34). Nationally, the
prevalence is at 27 per cent. This was revealed by the Director of Child
Development in the ministry, Ms Margaret Mussai, at a media briefing
session at the weekend.
She was speaking ahead of International
Day of the Girl Child 11th October. Ms Mussai explained that nationally,
the Day will be commemorated in Mara Region from 8th October, because
the region is within five other regions with a high teenage pregnancy
rate.
“We expect that the education that will
be given during commemoration of the international Day of the Girl
Child, to parents, guardians and the public, will contribute to reducing
teenage pregnancies,” she explained, noting that Health Minister Ummy
Mwalimu will be in attendance. Ms Mussai said teenage pregnancy was a
global problem that affects the health and dreams of the girl child.
She said in Sub-Saharan Africa, many
girls got pregnant at the age of 18, and according to the World Health
Organisation (WHO) 2016 report, 11 per cent of women who gave birth were
aged between 15 and 19.
Ninety five per cent of the pregnancies were in developing countries, she said.
The United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) estimates that in the next 10 years, one million girls will be
married before attaining 18 years of age globally. Countries in Sub
Saharan Africa were the worst on the worrying phenomenon.
Ms Mussai explained that according to
the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey
(TDHS-MIS) report 2015, 27 per cent of girls got pregnant before they
reached 18.
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