Lack of adequate contraceptive methods has been singled out as one factor fueling teen pregnancies and unsafe abortions in Chikwawa district.

Youth Friendly Health Services Coordinator for Chikwawa district hospital, Janet Gulaimfa told YFM online that out of the 2 percent of teen pregnancies, 1 percent is for unsafe abortions every month.

“This issue continues to haunt us and currently our monthly analysis shows that 2 percent of pregnancy records are of young girls of whom 1 percent usually ends up in unsafe abortions, which is a negative as it risks their lives more,” she said.

Gulaimfa said despite various efforts of sensitizing the communities on the importance of contraceptive methods, but the lower supply of contraceptives to the hospital and access to the services still remains a challenge.

“We have so many initiatives that we are doing for instance awareness campaigns, interface meetings among others on the importance of using contraceptives but to avail,” she explained.

“We fail to meet the demand that we create out there simply because of the low supply of the family planning methods, and as of now we don’t even have contraceptive pills.”

“Sometimes it is also hard for people in the hard to reach areas to access these methods as they lack knowledge, hence when they get pregnant they resolve into unsafe abortions,” she said.

Teen pregnancies continue to be one alarming issue affecting many districts in the country.