About 95 000 children in Zimbabwe fall pregnant due to child marriages each year, new data has revealed. Statistics show that approximately 500 000 teenagers fall pregnant every year, with 19 percent of the pregnancies in this group a result of child marriages.

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major challenge and contributor to maternal and child mortality and the vicious circle of ill-health and poverty in Zimbabwe.

About 24 percent of the country’s population is in the 15 to 19 years age group. The same report says 48 percent of adolescents have confirmed that the pregnancies were unplanned, while 45 percent said they wanted a child.

It said Mashonaland Central Province has the highest prevalence rate of adolescents falling pregnant with 28,1 percent, followed by Manicaland Province with 25,4 percent. “On position three is Matabeleland North with 23,6 percent, followed by Matabeleland South with 22 percent and then Mashonaland East stands at 18,5 percent,” reads the report.

Mashonaland West has 16,3 percent, while Bulawayo has the third least prevalence at 11,1 percent followed by Masvingo at 8,3 percent. Harare has the least prevalence at 6,8 percent.” The UNFPA says each adolescent pregnancy poses risks of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. The health risks include maternal deaths, pregnancy complications such as obstetric fistula, uterine rapture and unsafe abortions.