First Lady Mama Salma Kikwete has reiterated the need for more education and awareness on reproductive health among teenagers in the country.
First Lady, Mama Salma Kikwete
She expressed the concern in Dar es Salaam while opening a workshop of clan elders from pastoral communities in the country.
The workshop aims at discussing ways to prevent the spread of HIV/AI DS among the youth, preventing maternal deaths and problems associated with norms and culture amongst pastoral communities.
“There is need to speak openly about reproductive health, basing on our traditional ways of life… because we cannot leave our daughters to die at a tender age,” she noted.
The First Lady said that the current statistics show that 20 per cent of maternal deaths occurring every day include teenage girls.
“The figures are very disheartening considering the reasons behind the problem,” she said calling for concerted efforts by clan elders to help create awareness on reproductive health.
She said deaths among the teenagers occur due to undeveloped bodies that are not ready for child bearing.
According to the report by Centre for Reproductive Health under the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, about 8,000 girls drop from school every year due to pregnancies and 3,000 among them are primary school pupils.
Mrs Kikwete called upon the clan elders and other participants at the workshop to discuss and come up with strategies that will help eliminate problems hindering the development of youth in the country.
She also promised full support the clan elders through her Foundation ‘Wanawake and Maendeleo’ (WAMA) to ensure problems hindering the youth development are solved.
By ANNE ROBI, Tanzania Daily News
