6,500 teen girls die in childbirth annually in South Asia, UN agencies warn

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

Nearly 6,500 adolescent girls die in childbirth in South Asia every year, UN agencies said on Friday, July 12, calling for prioritization of the health of girls and adolescents in South Asia. Experts from the agencies discussed this at a two-day regional dialogue on adolescent pregnancy jointly organized by SAARC, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF ROSA), 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 prioritize health for over 2.2 million adolescent girls who give birth yearly in South Asia and to provide better opportunities to learn, set up businesses, and earn a living.

The experts noted that most of these girls were child brides with limited power over their reproductive health or lives. Ambassador Golam Sarwar, the Secretary General of SAARC, said, “The South Asia region has a long way to go. I call upon everyone to resolutely address the root causes including child marriage, access to adolescent health education, and removing social stigma in managing the teenage population of the SAARC region.”

South Asia accounts for 290 million child brides — nearly half of the world’s burden. These girls are forced to drop out of school and face stigma, rejection, violence, unemployment as well as lifelong social challenges. About 49 percent of young girls in South Asia are not in education, employment, or training – the highest in the world, the experts noted.

With poorer health coverage, adolescent mothers are also at increased risk of early death, and their babies face a significantly higher risk of death. Saima Wazed, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, stated, “It is high time that we reverse this trend.” She stressed adolescents’ “unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and sexual development” needs to be given “special attention in national and international policies.”

Wazed also called for “cross-sectoral collaboration and equitable access to a variety of services,” and an increase in “investments” to tackle adolescent pregnancy and promote healthy socio-economic development. “This supports the well-being of the youth of today – who are the human capital of tomorrow,” the Regional Director said.