Child Marriages, Teenage Pregnancies Rock Beitbridge

Population Mobility Mapping (PMM) survey conducted by the  International Organisation for Immigration (IOM) has revealed that the COVID-19 induced 6 months school holiday saw an increase in teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the border town of Beitbridge, New Zimbabwe reports.

The survey reportedly revealed that:

This (teenage pregnancies and early child marriages) was attributed to schools’ closure and lack of sexual reproductive health services in the communities such as access to condoms, contraceptives and information.

For example, Shashe Clinic in Ward 8 reported 38 teen pregnancies in the current yearly quarter starting in October 2020, compared to the previous quarter (June to September 2020) in which 22 teen pregnancies were reported.

An increase of teenage pregnancies and early marriages in the time of Covid-19 in the communities closer to informal points of entry were also reported.

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The police, the ministry of health, the local government ministry, the immigration department, and Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) representatives participated in the survey.

The UN in another study has attributed similar incidences to sexual abuse, lack of condom or contraceptives use, perceptions that one would not fall pregnant, and unplanned sexual debuts.

More: New Zimbabwe