The authorities in Kasese are struggling to contain the increasing number of child-mothers in the district due to defilement and high rate of early marriages. The Rwenzururu kingdom health minister Mr. Enock Muhindo said all the stake holders should educate people against the traditional practice among the Banyarwanzururu of marrying girls below the age of 18.
At the National Peace exposition Day planning meeting held in kasese under the title “EARLY MARRIAGE AND CHILD-MOTHER IN THE DISTRICT “he said many child-mothers are finding it difficult to cope with the health along this rising economic situation’s Ruth Ojiambo Ochieng,the executive Director of the ISIS-women international cross cultural exchange, the organizers of the program said their findings show that kasese has the highest number of early marriages and consequently child-mother in the region.
The high rate of early marriages reported among some communities in the Rwenzori sub region and Kasese in particular may result in a socio-economic crisis if not curbed.
The district V/c/person Ms Naume Mbambo said the district is also facing problems of poor maternity facilities. “Our health units in rural areas lack delivery items in the maternity ward” she said there is a shortage of beds, mattresses, gloves and other necessities for the expectant mothers. Due to poor communication network in the District some mothers have been forced to deliver on the way or at home, in other related issue, some parents look at daughters as source of wealth and made it difficult to fight defilement.
It is believed that Kasese District has 3 hospitals and 63 health Units out of which 16 are government aided while 46 are privately owned. Doctor to population ratio stands at 1:31300 midwife/nurse to population ratio at 1:2196.female fertility rate at 7:4 children and maternal mortality at 39%
Source; the monitor of 30th sept 2011
