Teenage pregnancies, child marriage and girl child sexual abuse in Malawi

In both Taiwan and Malawi, adolescent pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health issues. According to the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) of Taiwan, the fertility rate of women between the ages of 15 and 19 years was 6.8% in 1951. The rate dropped by more than half to 3.1% in 1981, and it was further halved to 1.5% in 1997. Since 2009, it had remained at 0.4% until 2021 it further declined to 0.3% and stayed at 0.3% in the past two years. (The MoI does not provide fertility rate data of women below the age of 15.) The rate is higher than in South Korea. A study published in 2007 states that two-thirds of the fathers of children born to underage women were adults and argues that active use of contraception is ‘more important and practical’ to reduce underage pregnancy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both Taiwan and Malawi saw an increase in the risk of gender-based violence for women. In Taiwan, migrant domestic workers were also victims of gender-based violence during this period. Studies on pregnancy in Taiwan during the pandemic examined the effects of the disease on pregnancy and maternal care practices, as well as its impact on sex life. There does not seem to be any study conducted about teenage pregnancy during the pandemic in Taiwan. ​​Dr Chikhungu’s research ​on Malawi ​provides a unique insight into how the pandemic not only had gender-specific implications but also had an age-specific impact. It remains to be seen as to whether a similar effect – increased adolescent pregnancy – also took place in Taiwan but has gone unnoticed and whether data collected by public health institutions and the National Health Insurance system can ascertain such incidences.