BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – More female babies have been born on New Year’s Day.
According to information from the Ministry of Health, there were 42 female babies born on the first day of 2025, while males were 33, resulting in 75 babies being born on January 1, 2025 in Eswatini. This means there were nine more female babies than males. The babies were born across 13 health facilities in the country, with 12 of them being public health facilities.
Manzini Clinic is the only private health facility in which a baby (male baby) was born on New Year’s Day. Mbabane Government Hospital recorded the most New Year births, as 16 babies were born in the facility. Nine of them were females, while seven were males. The facility is one of the hospitals in which more female babies were born.
Other health facilities with the same situation include Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital (which is in Manzini), Mankayane Government Hospital, Mkhuzweni Health Centre, Nhlangano Health Centre, and The Luke Commission (which is in Sidvokodvo).
Health facilities in which more males babies include Good Shepherd Hospital (Siteki), Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital, Sithobela Health Centre, Dvokolwako Health Centre, and Manzini Clinic. Health facilities such as Hlathikhulu Government Hospital, and Matsanjeni Health Centre had equal numbers of birth between males and females.
| Health Facility | Females | Males | Total Number of babies |
| Mbabane Government Hospital | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Hlathikhulu Government Hospital | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Mankayane Government Hospital | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Good Shepherd Hospital | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Nhlangano Health Centre | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Sithobela Health Centre | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Matsanjeni Health Centre | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Dvokolwako Health Centre | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mkhuzweni Health Centre | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| The Luke Commission (TLC) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| St Theresa Clinic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zondwako Clinic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Private hospitals ( Women and Children, Mbabane Clinic, Clinics Grp Manzini, Philani, Medisun hospital, Mkhiwa Clinic, EPH) | 0 | 1 (Manzini Clinic) | 1 |
| Total | 42 | 33 | 75 |
(Featured Image: Eswatini Observer)
