Samata disclosed the development on Friday at a panel discussion organized by Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM).

“We cared for 283 women from the area of Traditional Authority Malemia and 289 women from the area of Traditional Authority Mlolo of which 272 were young people within the age ranges of 10-24 years,” she said.

She described the situation as alarming. “It’s a big problem much as we are portraying that things are not happening but the youth out there are committing unsafe abortions.

“The law does not allow the youth to come to the hospital to safely abort but they have their own ways. We are encouraging the youth to go for safe abortions which are not allowed,” explained Samata.

She added, “It’s costly, because we have to handle bleeding. It’s an emergency situation which calls for urgent action to save the life of a woman.

“The youth themselves are proposing that a bill on termination of pregnancy should include issues of incest, rape but also where the pregnancy is not a human being, malformation conditions.

“Let’s include these issues in the bill, it only says when a woman’s life is in danger,” said Samata.

Mary Phiri, a Youth Champion in the district, has implored responsible duty bearers to heed to their calls on including such conditions in the bill.

“May that responsible act on our plea. The youth are using unsafe means to abort some use sharp objects thus putting their lives at stake.

“Would you keep your father’s pregnancy? What about the mentally ill who face various forms of violence including rape which results in pregnancies who would support the child?” lamented Mary.

GVH Nthole under Traditional Authority Malemia shares the youth’s concerns.

“I will be engaging T/A Malemia on the same, for a way forward on how best we can push for answers to these concerns,” said GVH Nthole.

The country’s parliament withdrew an abortion bill from debate last year following resistance from Anti-abortion groups, many citing religious grounds.