South Asia’s Annual Toll: 6,500 Adolescent Girls Lost To Childbirth

UN agencies have reported that nearly 6,500 adolescent girls die in childbirth annually in South Asia, urging priority be given to the health of girls and adolescents in the region.) Experts from the agencies discussed this issue at a two-day regional dialogue on adolescent pregnancy jointly organized by SAARC, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF ROSA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Kathmandu, Nepal.

At the event, officials and civil society representatives from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka reaffirmed their commitment to prioritising the health of more than 2.2 million adolescent girls who give birth each year in South Asia, and to providing them with better opportunities to learn, start businesses and earn a living.

Addressing child marriage and adolescent health in South Asia

Experts noted that most of these girls were child brides who have limited power over their reproductive health or lives. The South Asian region “has a long way to go. I call on everyone to resolutely address the root causes such as child marriage, access to adolescent health education and elimination of social stigma in the management of adolescent population in the SAARC region,” said Ambassador Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of SAARC.

These girls are forced to drop out of school and face stigma, rejection, violence, unemployment and social challenges throughout their lives. Some 49 percent of girls in South Asia are not in education, employment or training, the highest figure in the world, the experts said.

With poorer health coverage, teenage mothers are also at higher risk of premature death, and the babies they are born also face a significantly higher risk of death.

“It is time we reversed this trend,” said Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. She stressed that the “unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional and sexual development” of adolescents must receive “special attention in national and international policies.”

She also called for “intersectoral collaboration and equitable access to a variety of services” and increased “investments” to address teenage pregnancy and promote healthy socioeconomic development.

“This supports the well-being of today’s youth, who are the human capital of tomorrow,” said the Regional Director.

Reference:

1. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and United Nations call for commitment to support millions of pregnant girls and young mothers in South Asia – (https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news/detail/12-07-2024-south-asia-association-for-regional-cooperation-and-united-nations-call-for-pledge-to-support-millions-of-pregnant-girls-and-young-mothers-in-south-asia)

Source-IANS