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Paidamoyo Chipunza recently in Centenary
About half of women who deliver at St Albert’s Mission Hospital in Centenary District are teenagers, increasing the number of caesarian-sections (c-section) conducted in the district, district medical officer Dr Alex Ingwani has said.

In an interview with The Herald recently after receiving a consignment of maternal health delivery kits from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Ingwani said c-sections constituted over 10 percent of all deliveries conducted at the hospital.

He said an average of nine women delivered through c-section on a daily basis, majority of whom would be teenagers.

“The number of c-sections that we conduct in this district are high because most of the women are teenagers, who for varying medical reasons cannot push on their own, but have to be helped deliver in a theatre,” said Dr Ingwani.

He said since the beginning of the year, the hospital assisted about 700 pregnant women to deliver and about half of those were in their teens. He attributed the huge number of teen pregnancies to poverty.

“This district is one of the poorest districts in the country where getting married is actually an achievement for most of the women around, said Dr Ingwani. The majority of them would be school drop-outs and getting married is the available option.”

Dr Ingwani urged non-Governmental organisations to continue complimenting health institutions’ efforts to avail free maternal health services by assisting with supplies required in helping women to deliver.

He said some of the common complications experienced by the expecting teenagers included severe bleeding (haemorrhage) and c-sections.

Speaking to The Herald from the post natal unit, one of the young mothers Ms Stella Musapenda said she was married out of choice. She said after failing to proceed to secondary education due to financial challenges, she opted to get married.

“I am so happy to have the baby, she said. Am sure everyone else at home is also going to be happy to have this blessing.”

According to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2010-2011, about 115 births in every 1 000 women are delivered by teenagers between 15 and 19 years. The survey further noted that one in four girls aged 15 to 19 had already begun childbearing and 92 percent of all sexually active women within the same age group were in some form of a union or marriage.

The 115 births per 1 000 women is an increase from 99 births per 1000 women in 1999.