The Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) said teenage pregnancies are prevalent in mining communities. The ZGC also raised concerns about the poor condition of maternity waiting shelters in rural areas.
In a study assessing the experiences of pregnant women in six rural provinces, including Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South, the ZGC found that 211 expectant mothers under the age of 18 were recorded at 13 health facilities over a year. Reads the report:
The Commission also noted relatively high statistics of girls below the age of 18 being admitted at the maternity waiting homes.
A total of 211 expecting mothers below 18 years were recorded in the period of 12 months at 13 health institutions visited, with health institutions in mining communities recording higher cases of teenage pregnancies.
The report revealed that maternity waiting shelters, created by the government to help pregnant women reach healthcare facilities more easily, are in bad condition and lack proper security.
Reads the report:
A total of 24 health institutions were assessed across six provinces; Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Matabeleland North, and Matabeleland South.
Issues noted included dilapidated infrastructure, poor living conditions, lack of nutritional support, shortage of skilled personnel, and high-security concerns around the maternity waiting homes.
The ZGC recommended improving waiting shelters and adding support services for survivors of gender-based violence, including counselling.
Health Deputy Minister Sleiman Timios Kwidini said the government is upgrading maternity waiting shelters and building new clinics in rural areas with devolution funds. Said Kwidini:
The waiting shelters for expecting mothers are temporary shelters and as a ministry, we are working towards standardising some of them to make it comfortable for women as they come to deliver.
They were designed to ensure that women do not travel long distances when coming to deliver. They aim to reduce home deliveries which can come with complications that put women’s health at risk.
Itai Rusike, the executive director of the Community Health Working Group, told Chronicle that although there has been some improvement in maternal health, the government needs to support clinics in urban areas. He said:
When facilities lack waiting mothers’ shelters, pregnant women may be discouraged from seeking care due to the costs of staying at the facility or the absence of proper accommodation.
Delays in seeking help are a major issue, which is why maternal and child health activities, community engagement, and health education must be strengthened…
The Government should provide health grants to urban local authorities to enable them to fully implement the free user fee policy for pregnant women.
This would prevent the collapse of urban clinics, which currently rely on user fees for operational costs.
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