The recent release of The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey reveals an improvement in maternity health.
Maternity health has been a concern in The Gambia for so long, In 2020,women-led organisations and concern Gambian took the streets and ad social media to protest against the numerous maternity deaths which were becoming an emergency alarm.
Implemented by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics, The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019-2020 is the second DHS in the country, following the survey in 2013. THE DHS provide an estimate at the national level in each of the eight local government areas. A total of 16,501 people and 6549 households were interviewed across the Gambia. This is a representation of 97 percent household, 95 percent women and 87 percent for men
This year’s demographic statics shows a notable improvement in maternal and child health despite challenges remaining.
Below are some key findings that the survey revealed.
In the report, it is indicated that early marriage among women in The Gambia is still common, one in five young women aged 15 to 19 are currently in a union, compared with less than one percent of men in the same age group.
It also reveals that ten percent of Gambian women between the ages 25 and 49 had their first sexual intercourse at the age of 15 while 5% of men had had their first sexual intercourse at the same age.
It also said, 44% of women aged between 25 and 49 had intercourse by age 18 while 67 percent of the men in the same age range had their first sexual intercourse by age 25.
Watch the video below by UNFPA to have a breakdown of the survey.
(Video: UNDPA, The Gambia)
Source: Fatu Network, UNFPA
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