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Govt stresses awareness on reproductive health
2006-02-25 07:52:06
By Pascal Shao
The Tanzania Family Planning Association (UMATI) has been asked to step up public youth awareness and education on sexual and reproductive health.
Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children, Dr Batilda Burian, said this was the only way of checking the ever-spiralling rate of unplanned teenage pregnancy.
The minister blamed teenage pregnancies and associated vices like illegal abortions to unprecedented high rate of deaths among the youths.
She made the remarks during the launch of an exhibition of the organisation’s activities and a seminar for its officers drawn from across the country in Dar es Salaam, on Thursday.
Dr. Burian was optimistic that the efforts would also help in reducing the number of street children and those living in difficult conditions in the country.
”Sexual and reproductive health among youth will enable many girls who complete primary education and join secondary education to continue with their studies without dropping out due to either pregnancies or absenteeism cause by early marriages.
She regretted that statistics by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training indicate that 46.8 percent of pupils who drop out of primary education are girls.
The statistics also painted a sorrowful for the girl child, with 6.2 percent of those expelled from schools being pregnant.
The minister noted that it was pertinent that the youth, at the tender age of 10 to 24 are taught and should know their rights on sexual and reproductive health.
’It is important to create partnership ties with organisations such as International Planned Parental Federation (IPPF) or Inter Act Worldwide, whose goals are in line with UMATI for exchange of experiences and improve services to society,’ she said.
With the fourth phase government, the minister was emphatic that, all was possible to make Tanzania full of grace.
’Programme on sexual and reproductive health is the pillar for the development of any society,’ she further noted.
However, the minister was impressed with UMATI programmes that targets to facilitate the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as enshrined in the National Strategy for Poverty Alleviation (MKUKUTA).
Reduction of infant mortality rate from 95 per cent per every 1,000 children in 2002 to 50 per cent per 1,000 children by 2010 and the drop in reproductive deaths from 529 in 100,000 mothers to 265 per 100,000 mothers by 2010, the minister were some of the success stories of UMATI.
UMATI Vice Chairman, Benardetha Ndunguru said the organisation was set to achieve its goals with the requisite facilitation from the Ministry.
UMATI is an autonomous, non-profit, non-political, voluntary national Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) that envisages a Tanzania society where all people, especially the young have the right to and enjoy quality sexual and reproductive health.
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