Family planning provider Banja la Mtsogolo has expressed fear on a possible increase of unplanned pregnancies in the country due to inability for women to access contraceptives following the COVID 19 outbreak.
Speaking to MIJ Online Dr. Davie Zolowere director of clinical quality at Banja la Mtsogolo said there were fears the country would register more unplanned pregnancies if attention would only focus on Covid-19.
Zolowere has since urged government to also prioritise essential sexual and reproductive healthcare to protect womenโs health and reduce stress on the health system.
In a Population study, in 2010, it was found out that nearly 43% of the pregnancies were unintended of which 25% were mistimed.
Multivariate analysis indicated that mistimed pregnancies are significantly influenced by the age of the respondent, fertility preference and number of children ever born.
Among the variables that significantly increased the likelihood of unwanted pregnancies are age of respondent, wealth status, fertility preference, and region of residence even though potential confounding factors were used as control.
The study by Martin Palamuleni and Awe Adebowale then recommended the strengthening of family planning services in order to reduce the level of unintended pregnancies.
