A rights group has asked government to increase funding towards provision of family planning methods as a way of curbing teenage pregnancies.
Speaking after meeting Members of Parliament in Lilongwe, White Ribbon Alliance Malawi Executive Director Hester Mkwinda Nyasulu said the Ministry of Health should consider providing youth friendly services to prevent unwanted and teenage pregnancies.
He also asked the ministry to ensure that people living in hard to reach areas are provided with family planning methods which he said most of the times are unavailable.
Speaking with reporters, Member of Parliament for Zomba Changalume John Chikalimba said issues such as unemployment, levels of finance going down and shortage of land are results of overpopulation because people are not using family planning methods.
Chikalimba who is also leader of People’s party in Parliament added that there is a need to control population for the goodness of this country, failure which this nation will continue facing challenges day in day out.
“From 1963 to 1971 when Kamuzu was taking over the country, the country had about 7 million people for 30 years but from that time to this time it’s about 20 years but what has happened is the increase is almost 300 percent.
“We need to control this. If people in the country were using family planning methods all this while the issue of abortion law could have been covered,” he explained.
In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Health, Chrissy Kalamula Kanyasho said that it is shocking that there is increase of birth rate in government hospitals.
Kanyasho who is also Member of Parliament for Nkhatabay North Constituency suggested that people need to civic-educated on the importance of using family planning methods since some people are afraid of using the methods due to miscommunication.
White Ribbon Alliance Malawi is an organization which seeks to ensure that girls and Women realise their right to quality health and well-being.
The organization’s mission is to activate a people-led movement for reproductive, maternal and newborn health and Rights.
