By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe is one of the African countries which has alarming statistics of teenage pregnancies, the United Nations Family Planning Agency (UNFPA) has said.

Lack of information on reproductive health and personal development gained through sending girls to school are reasons which have contributed to the increase in teen pregnancies as girls fail to make their own choices.

UNFPA Country Representative, Dr Esther Muia told journalists during a media workshop in Mutare that efforts by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs in the country to review the Marriage Act with the aim of criminalising child marriages is thus a commendable move in the fight to reduce teen pregnancies and child marriages.

“We need to work with parliamentarians because they are key in leading efforts to end child marriages. Access to choice for girls and young women in Zimbabwe will continue to improve their chances of staying in school longer because if we are able to enhance their ability to exercise choice and support them to practice choice, we hope they will be able to go through education to the highest attainable level possible,” she said.

Combined efforts are needed in cooperating vulnerable groups who include the disabled on issues of reproductive health so that they can all be able to make their own choices.-StateMedia