The Ministry of General Education (MoGE) in Chienge District has expressed sadness at the high number of school pupils accessing family planning services in the area.
Chienge District Education Board Secretary, (DEBS) James Chibuye says the policy of the Ministry of General Education is to enforce total sexual abstinence by pupils so that they concentrate on their education.
ZANIS Reports that the DEBS expressed the concern during a meeting of the District Technical Working Group on Adolescent Health held in the Chienge Town Council Chambers recently.
Responding to the concern by the Chienge DEBS, District Adolescent Health Coordinator, Christopher Mbewe called for a coordinated and balanced approach to resolving the matter.
Mr Mbewe, who is also at the Chienge District Health Office (DHO) Nursing Officer admitted that health facilities in the area provide family planning services to female pupils, adding that whoever goes to a Health Facility to seek a service is treated as a “client”.
“As Ministry of Health, the issue is that we do not just dish out contraceptive to everyone but we carry out a vigorous process that involves counselling, explaining the side effects of the contraceptives, checking the marital status of a client, as well as the number of Children the woman has,” the Chienge District Adolescent Health Coordinator said.
The Technical Working Group also expressed concern at the high number of adolescents engaging in early marriage and unplanned pregnancies.
The concern comes after a report that in the Second Quarter of 2020 a total of 36 Adolescents had delivered from the Chienge District Hospital while more other cases were recorded from the other 12 Health Facilities located around the District.
And speaking in a separate interview, Chienge District Administrative Officer, Abraham Kachipansi called for more concerted efforts by organisations in fighting vices facing adolescents through teamwork and being alert to issues happening in the district.
Mr Kachipans who is also the District Technical Working Group on Adolescent Health Chairperson, commended government for opening up a One-Stop Centre at Chienge District Hospital to deal with the high Sexual and Gender Based Violence cases in the area.
He said the One-Stop Centre will go a long way in ending the high Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGVB) cases that are recorded in the District.
The District Administrative Officer said reassured that his Committee will engage the Ministries of Health and General Education to seek clarity on the issue of school girls accessing Family Planning Services from health facilities when the policy by the education sector is abstinence.
The meeting drew attendance from district administration, the local authority, the district health office and the district education board secretary’s office.
We are engaging the local authorities and schools to understand why there is high nthwenu going on. Such issues are difficult to address due to the private nature of them.
Alale ba wesu!? Mukofwaya mulepelafye amafumo!??? Let the reality sink in that those kids are having s3x and they also need to continue with school. Perhaps at this stage let’s educate them about STI’s especially the still incurable HIV/AIDS. I am sure wamene uyo citeni ndiye ali pa forefront lying on top of those little children. Neo ndiye vimene naonamo sense koma mwe. Ambuya mukutipo tyani?
Do you want them to be getting pregnant instead? Do want headlines on how many school girls are pregnant per province? Its good if they are using contraception, because we know most of them are having sex. Actually, it would be better if they are using condoms, so that they avoid pregnancies & diseases. Go girls, save your lives!!!
There is currently an advertisement on two girls discussing condom use.
One girl saying there is nothing wrong for the friend carrying these prophylactics to be used in a “heat of the moment”.
The last thing any parent/guardian wants to see in the kids’ bag is a plastic sheath to be used in emergencies!
….or let us buy these latex sheaths and stash them in our girl child bags to prevent pregnancies.
What a thought from some commentators here.
To clarify contraceptives doesn’t just mean hormonal contraception. Statistics would be vital here.
Why is the Ministry worried when they is proper and high usage of various forms of contraception if we are fighting for an HIV/AIDS free generation? Do they want girls to drop out school?
Teenage sex will always be rampant in schools as long as politically engineered poverty is ever on the rise. You can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.
I for one I’m extremely happy that teenagers are engaging is safer sex. I will personally take it upon myself to donate 10,000 condoms at my former schools.
No wonder Luapula province is bottom of the ten provinces in school leaving exams performance. The girls are not concentrating on learning. They to hv their minds on school to do well.
These PoonoFuuls government, Monday- Friday stories are theft, Saturday – Sunday its all about Child s¢x.
The concern by the Ministry of Health must be appreciated. Research has shown that contraceptives can cause mental harm if taken by somebody below the age of 18.
There’s a lot of sexual immorality among young people. There’s need to start preaching against such
Ala abana nabakula..Try stopping them, they can even bite you. I lost my finger
How do you let the likes of Sab Miller into schools to talk to pupils about underage …then hand them unhealthy sodas like coke. These companies should sponsor NGO organisations..