CHADIZA District in Eastern Province has increased the number of re-entries in school from 23 in 2022 to 134 in 2024.
Ministry of Education District Guidance and Counselling Coordinator, Matildah Tonga, says the re-entry of girls in schools has improved in the district due to the many interventions that have been set aside.
Ms Tonga mentioned that one of the effective measures put in place which has contributed to the increase, is the free education policy, including the Keeping Girls in Schools (KGS) initiative.
“The numbers continue to fluctuate but are significantly adding to the education of our girls because in 2022, 23 girls re-entered in school while in 2023, the number increased to 105 and last year 2024, we rose to 134,” she explained.
Ms Tonga also revealed during a Technical Working Group meeting that despite the re-entry policy working in the district, Teen pregnancies have also affected a lot of girls in the last few years.
She said that 81 teen pregnancies in schools were recorded in 2022 while 91 teen pregnancies were recorded in 2023 but that a reduction last year was recorded at 37.
Ms Tonga also pointed out that 17 early marriages of school going children were recorded in 2022 while 21 cases were recorded in 2023 and only four cases last year.
And Ministry of Health Adolescent Focal Point Person, Mabvuto Nkhuwa, said at least 387 girls started their family planning last year while 1,350 were already on family planning with only 64 females that re-started their family planning last year.
Mr Nkhuwa said currently, access to family planning by adolescents still remained a challenge urging the public to seek services to avoid unplanned pregnancies.
He also expressed concern that Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) continue to rise despite the many interventions put in place.
ZANIS reports that last year, Chadiza District recorded 5,177 STIs from ages ranging from 15 years and above, the diseases included Syphilis, Urethral discharge diseases, Virginal discharge and pelvis Inflammatory among others.
