Senior Chief Kunthembwe (right) and some of the delegates at the meeting
* If well advocated, the TOP Bill will contribute to its successful implementation
* Thereby winning the fight against teen maternal mortality rate in the country
* Many factors have led high teen mortality rate and dropping out of schools due to pregnancies
By Steven Mkweteza, Contributor
While appreciating that youths have a critical role to play in advocating for the tabling and passing of the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Bill currently in Parliament, Senior Chief Kunthembwe of Blantyre District urged the youths to be cautious to ensure its smooth implementation.
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He said this during a day-long sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) meeting for youth champions from Chileka and Lirangwe at Fresh Water Conference Hall along Chileka Road.
It was funded by IPAS — an international organisation geared to improve reproductive health rights and regulation of safe abortion.
Kunthembwe stressed that if well advocated, the TOP Bill will contribute to its successful implementation, thereby winning the fight against teen maternal mortality rate in the country.
He observed that many youths do not understand the contents of the Bill, a development which he said was contributed by the poor advocacy strategies, limited availability of SRHR services and proper information on the bill.
A police officer making her contribution
Among others, the senior chief observed that the factors have subsequently led to high teen mortality rate and dropping out of schools due to pregnancies.
“We are facing a lot of mixed reaction from the youths because many of them do not weigh the pros and cons of the Bill. Therefore, there is a need for a wide concerted efforts from various stakeholders to reach a common goal and ensure smooth implementation and reach the intended purpose.”
He further aurged that post abortion care guidelines formulated by the Ministry of Health were not clear for the youths, hence the need to revise them for their better understanding.
Present at the meeting was Member of Parliament for the area, Francis Phiso, who advised the youths to be proactive in playing their role as outlined in the revised Bill by refraining themselves from reckless sexual activities in a effort to counter maternal deaths that come because of unsafe abortion practices.
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Phiso further proposed stiffer penalties for those that carry out illegal and unsafe abortion malpractice.
“The fact remains that many of them do this knowingly looking at the softer punishment they get after the malpractice,” he said.
Lirangwe Youth Champion chairperson, Yasin Mbwana urged stakeholders who are ignoring the legislation of the Bill to wake up and think twice about their stand, saying it is vital in the fight against maternal deaths in the country.
Mbwana said thousands of unborn babies die due to unplanned pregnancies, a situation which he said could be solved if the laws were repealed.
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“This is not the time to bury our heads in the sand and pretend people are not dying from unsafe abortion complications. They will always die and here is where safe abortions should find space,” he said.
Records from the Blantyre District Health Office (DHO), indicate that the district has recorded the highest number of unsafe abortions and that since the emergency of COVID-19 in April to November 2020, the district handled a total of 1,603 post abortion care cases.
This indicate that of every 9 deaths, three died due to unsafe abortion complications.
The country developed TOP way back on 2012 but is yet to be tabled in Parliament.
