Saturday, January 16, 2021
  • About Us
  • ImagiNATION
  • Adverts
  • Rate Card
  • Contact Us
The Nation Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Front Page

Expert warns on high fertility rate

by Mercy Malikwa
02/08/2016
in Front Page, National News
3 min read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on LinkedinLinkedinShare via Email

A social statistics and demographics expert has warned that high fertility has the potential to derail the current and future progress in the socio-economic development of a country.

University of Malawi’s Chancellor College (Chanco) lecturer in population and demographic studies Dr. Jesman Chitsanya said the age structure in Malawi is characteristically youthful, consisting of higher proportions of youths relative to smaller percentages of the population in working force and this would bring stress to government’s resources.PREGNANT

RelatedHeadlines

Imbibers defy Covid-19 guidelines

Malawi’s death penalty comedy

Nocma in race against time

“As they are not working, this would bring more stress to government’s resources, making it more difficult to invest in the physical and human capital needed for expanding the economy,” he said in an e-mailed response to a questionnaire.

Chitsanya’s sentiments follow preliminary results of the fifth Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16 MDHS) which indicate fertility in Malawi has declined since 2010 while use of family planning has increased and women in Malawi are currently having an average of 4.4 children compared with 5.7 children in 2010.

He said the decline by 1.3 children within five years is unprecedented in the history of the fertility transition in Malawi which has always remained high – above six children – for a long time.

Observed Chitsanya: “The decline reflects the notable improvement in use of modern contraception among currently married women, which has increased six-fold from 7.4 percent [1992] to 42.2 percent [2010], and according to the 2015/16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey’s preliminary results, currently it is 58 percent.

“A strong family planning programme, which saw the Ministry of Health [MoH] spearheading a collective effort among its development partners, and other non-governmental organisations leading among them, Banja la Mtsogolo, has been successful in bringing family planning services to rural areas.”

Commenting on the result that child mortality has declined by almost 50 percent since 2010 as currently there are 64 under-five deaths for every 1 000 births in Malawi compared with 112 deaths per 1000 births in 2010, Chitsanya said perhaps the country’s most powerful weapon is the use of high-school educated village health workers, who after receiving a minimum of 10 weeks training, assist in diagnosing childhood killers by going round in villages using bicycles.

During this year’s World Population Day commemorations on Friday at Mankhamba Primary School in Senior Chief Kachindamoto’s area in Dedza District, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Jean Kalilani said rapid population growth is a threat to the country’s development.

“Rapid population growth poses various socio-economic challenges such as land degradation, food insecurity, landlessness, disease and poverty amongst others,” said Kalilani.

The day was commemorated under the theme Investing in Teenage Girls.

The minister said girls face serious challenges in their day to day lives, including forced early marriages, sexual violence, and harmful cultural practices.

“Fifty-two out of 100 girls below 18 years in Malawi are forced into early marriages, 50 out of 100 girls get pregnant before maturity, 82 out of 100 girls drop out of school, 44 out of 100 girls get forced into sex and three out of 100 get infected with the HIV virus that causes Aids,” said Kalilani.

Previous Post

Grace Chinga’s daughter abused

Next Post

Lipipa ready to work with Nyasa

Related Posts

Some drinking joints in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu are defying Covid-19 measures
National News

Imbibers defy Covid-19 guidelines

January 16, 2021
There are 27 inmates on death row in Malawi prisons
National News

Malawi’s death penalty comedy

January 16, 2021
Kambala: The board must make a decision
National News

Nocma in race against time

January 16, 2021
Next Post
Nyasa Big Bullets chairperson Noel Lipipa (C)

Lipipa ready to work with Nyasa

Trending Stories

  • Chakwera: No comment

    Covid-19 mars cabinet review

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Locked with hubby’s brother

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Unscrupulous traders dupe unsuspecting farmers

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Hospitals in crisis

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Covid-19 hits prisons

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Opinions and Columns

Bottom Up

For 20 Pounds John Chilembwe was betrayed

January 16, 2021
My Diary

Tonse owes ‘ife tonse’ an apology

January 16, 2021
Off the Shelf

Accomplices in genocide

January 16, 2021
Back Bencher

On verge of collapse due to Covid-19

January 16, 2021
  • Values
  • Our Philosophy
  • Editorial policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism disclaimer
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

© 2021 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation

© 2020 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

WhatsApp us

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.