Minister Muluzi touts birth control to combat Malawi high population

Minister of Health, Atupele Muluzi on Thursday came to his knees pleading with Malawians to  consider  birth control measures to to bring population growth rate down, saying the high population which the country is having is bringing unnecessary pressure to the country economically and socially.

 Speaking at Ntanja during this year’s  commemoration of World Population Day, Muluzi pleaded with chiefs, religious bodies and other stakeholders to take part in the fight against effects of high population.

Health experts observed observed that low use of family planning methods results in high risk and unsafe pregnancies that is to say pregnancies that come early too frequent to many.

“Such pregnancies results in high levels maternal and neounatal mortality our country although martenal mortality has declined to 439 per 100,000 live births which is too high,” said Muluzi.

Muluzi said Malawi population is estimated at 17.2Million and is projected to increase further to 43.1 million by 2050.

He aid it is unfortunate that teenage pregnancy rate has increased from 26% in 2010 to 29% in 2015-16.

Officials from USAID, UNFPA also spoke stressing the need for Malawi to embrace family planning methods.

Member of Parliament for area Esther Jolobala said family planning is the only tool help in reducing pressure excerpted into the already meagre resources.

High birth rate is among the factors identified as slowing down Malawi’s economic take-off.

This year’s commemoration ceremony was done under the theme; “Family Planning : Empowering people ,Developing nations.”