Decline in Women fertility shocks Malawi

A lengthy research done in Malawi to find rates of human fertility particularly in women, published this year has revealed interesting facts.

Compiled by Ministry of Health, the findings reveal that women living in some parts of the country are more productive than their counterparts living in other parts.

The report says there is high decline in fertility in urban settings than in rural.

The research which was published under Total Fertility Rate (TFR), shows ranges of 4.8 to 7.2 birth I remote lake districts of Mangochi for example, than those living in city sides like commercial capital Blantyre.

While in Blantyre the research says TFR can be an average of 4.8, it says in Mangochi average can be at 7.2.

And Malawi’s population density is estimated at 105 per square meter, with population projected to be rising to 13.6 million than was in 2000 when it was at 12.3million albeit yet to be confirmed after the Population and Housing Census being carried out country wide. With these figures Malawi’s fertility rates are only Second to Uganda the whole East Southern Africa though with a big gap between them.

Urban population rate, all the four main cities of Zomba, Blantyre, Lilongwe (Capital City) and Mzuzu combined, at 15.4 percent, indicated a 2.1 growth rate. This figure is much lower compared to other countries in Southern Africa countries.

But the trend is not upward, rather it is downwards. In 1984 when the trend was first examined fertility rate was 7.6 in urban settings. In 1992 it slightly went down to 6.3. It was 6.3 in 2000 and 6.0 in the year 2004.

But critics want clarification whether decline in women fertility means decline in men fertility as well. But the report says nothing on men.

An expert in Demography who did not wish to have his name published said, the slow decline in fertility in remote areas is because high interaction between men and women within the confines of families is part of entertainment in remote areas where as in urban sites, people are engaged in so many advanced entertainment activities and do not take their conjugal rights as part of entertainment.

“Despite the decline Malawi remains the highest in Women fertility the whole Eastern and Southern Africa, meaning in Malawi Women easily give birth,

“The figures are only lower than Uganda with an average of 6.9 children per woman even in urban settings,” says the report.

Malawi’s Northern Region has a rate of 5.6 children per woman. Adoption and use of contraceptive is also higher in the region. While Central region which houses Capital City Lilongwe and Southern region where we find commercial city of Blantyre, the use of contraceptive is at three percent only.

Life expectancy at birth is stuck at 38.1 for males and 37 for females.