A 14-year-old girl in Dedza district has died after taking a herbal concoction in an attempt to terminate her five-month pregnancy.
According to deputy spokesperson for Dedza police sergeant Cassim Manda, the deceased has been identified as Yamikani Sikiyo who was a Standard 4 learner.
Sergeant Manda said Yamikani was staying with her grandmother and was in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy from the same village. She became pregnant in January this year.
It is, however, reported that after noticing that she was pregnant, the girl never told her grandmother but rather told one of her friends.
The girl then opted to terminate the pregnancy and later went to a traditionalist who gave her concoctions to abort the pregnancy. The young girl died after taking the herbs.
Manda said preliminary medical report conducted at Dedza district hospital has revealed that Yamikani died due to maternal complications caused by the herbs which she took.
Meanwhile, police have launched investigations aimed at identifying the person who gave Yamikani the herbs to terminate the pregnancy.
