Survey reveals 20% of Zimbabwean women give birth at home

According to the recently-released Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS), about 20 percent of Zimbabwean births over the past five years occurred at home while institutional deliveries stood at an average of 77 percent.

The survey also notes that institutional deliveries declined from 72 percent in 1999, to 68 percent in 2005-06, and 65 percent in 2010-11, and then substantially increased to 77 percent in 2015 while home deliveries increased from 23 percent in 1999, to 31 percent in 2005-06, and 34 percent in 2011-10, and then decreased notably to 20 percent in 2015.

The report shows that Bulawayo and Harare provinces had the most institutional births at about 91 percent. Midlands, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North had high percentages ranging from 81 to 85 percent. The ZDHS shows that births to mothers with more than a secondary education are much more likely to take place in a health facility than births to mothers with no basic education.