By KELVIN MUDENDA –
GENDER-BASED Violence (GBV) and child marriages have a direct negative impact on healthcare provision and education standards in the country, the Livingstone District medical office has observed.
Officiating at the closing ceremony of traditional leaders’ trainer of trainers workshop organised by Zambia Centre for Communication Programmes (ZCCP) during the week, Livingstone District medical office senior clinical officer, Mando Mwaba said GBV and early marriages led to an increased maternal mortality, high school dropouts and generally an increase in the cost of providing healthcare.
Mr Mwaba said the efforts that have been made by ZCCP to train traditional leaders on issues of GBV, Early Marriages and HIV will improve the welfare of women, children and men.
“Education in GBV and early marriages leads to reduction in maternal mortality and improved educational standards,” he said.
He encouraged traditional leaders to fully implement the acquired knowledge and skills to improve the lives of people living in their communities.
“I wish to encourage our leaders who have attended this training to fully implement the newly acquired skills in our communities .This will lead to a healthier community and improved economic status,” he added.
Speaking earlier, ZCCP technical adviser Emma Mwiinga said GBV was a real issue that greatly affected communities.
Ms Mwiinga said child marriages were on a daily basis denying children’s possibilities of living a bright future.
“These have become thorny issues in our communities. We know that they happen, yet no one wants to speak up and stop them and that is why ZCCP was delighted when in October last year a petition was presented before us, where the headmen and women from Sihumbwa Village asked to be trained in GBV and child marriage issues,” she said.