Have fewer children- Malawians told

United States Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer has urged Malawians to follow proper family planning with the aim of reducing high population growth so that the country should develop.

Palmer made the remarks in Dedza during commemorations of World Population Day which this year was commemorated under the theme “Investing in teenage girls for a more just, stable, and peaceful world.”

The US Ambassador said proper family planning is crucial to Malawi’s attainment of development goals.

“We have to work on family planning because everything else we have to achieve in development will be undermined if the current population growth continues as it is.

“Every time you build a classroom it’s overwhelmed with hundreds of new children. Every time you build a clinic it’s overwhelmed because there are thousands of new babies,” said Palmer.

She acknowledged that cultural values are hard to change but said it is important for Malawians to value girls’ education and their right to be children and give them a chance to have babies only when they are ready.

Speaking at the same function, Senior Chief Kachindamoto admitted that although times have changed, some traditional leaders continue to cling to harmful cultural practices.

Chief Kachindamoto also condemned the hyena practice in Nsanje saying that such acts are unjustifiable and must be abolished.