‘Zambia has one of Africa’s highest fertility rates’

‘Zambia has one of Africa’s highest fertility rates’
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Monday, March 30, 2009 6:59:27 AM

THE 2007 demographic and health survey has revealed that Zambia has one of the highest fertility rates in Africa. The final report, which was released on Thursday, was carried out on a total number of 8,000 households randomly selected in a total of 319 population clusters that were representative of the standard enumeration areas (SEA).

The survey results showed that fertility in Zambia had remained at a high level over the last 15 years from 6.5 births per woman in 1992 to 6.2 births in 2007.

It stated that on average, rural women had three children more than urban women (7.5 and 4.3 children, respectively).

"The low level of fertility among urban women is also reflected in the lower fertility among women in the urban province of Lusaka and Copperbelt, where women on average are having 4.1 and 4.8 children, respectively, compared with 6.2 or more children in other provinces," it stated.

The survey stated that fertility differentials by education and wealth were noticeable.

It stated that women who had no formal education and those in the lowest wealth quintile on average were having more than eight children while those with higher than a secondary education and those in the highest wealth quintile were having less than four children.

The survey also stated that unplanned pregnancies were common in Zambia and overall, 16 per cent of births were unwanted, while 26 per cent were untimely.

It stated that if all unwanted births were prevented, women would have an average of 5.2 children, compared with the actual average of 6.5 children.

The survey also stated that teenage pregnancy was high in Zambia where about three in ten young women aged 15 to 19 had begun child bearing, they had given birth already or were currently pregnant with their first child.

And the survey revealed that domestic violence was most common on the Copperbelt Province where two thirds of ever-married women reported having ever experienced spousal violence.

The survey further stated that children's nutritional status had improved from 53 percent of children below the age of five being stunted between 2001 and 2002 to 45 percent of children in 2007.