By Midlands Correspondent
Kwekwe City Council is investigating the circumstances surrounding 34 abortions recorded in the city in August, amid concerns over possible unintended pregnancies and induced abortions.
The figure was revealed by Kwekwe City Council Finance Committee chairperson Councillor Alex Senge during a full council meeting.
The cases raised concern among councillors, with Senge seeking clarity on the circumstances surrounding the abortions, including the ages of those affected.
“What is happening? Is the health department failing to adequately educate people? Who are the age groups involved? Are these teenagers? Can you furnish us with statistics showing the age groups affected?” he asked.
Senge also questioned the council’s preparedness to respond if the cases involved school-going children or students at tertiary institutions.
“If these are school-going children, what measures have we put in place as the health department? Family planning services are available, but some are choosing not to use them,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Kwekwe Director of Health Services Dr Munyaradzi Murwira said the council had taken note of the issue and was conducting research to establish the factors behind the reported cases.
“We have noted this is an issue of concern. We are conducting research to understand the factors contributing to this within the city,” Dr Murwira said.
He cautioned that the reported abortions should not automatically be interpreted as induced terminations, explaining that abortions can occur spontaneously or be induced.
“Abortions are either natural or induced. The councillors are concerned about induced abortions because people are using various methods to terminate pregnancies, but for other people these can occur due to other conditions,” he said.
Dr Murwira said the council would use the findings of its research to inform appropriate interventions.
He also highlighted the availability of family planning services aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies.
“Family planning is available to prevent unwanted pregnancies,” he said.
