Over 6,500 adolescent girls die giving birth every year across South Asia: Study

KATHMANDU: Every year, nearly 6,500 adolescent girls in South Asia die giving birth and most of them are minors who have limited power over their reproductive health or lives, according to a joint analysis done by UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA.

South Asia accounts for 290 million child brides - nearly half of the world’s burden. In three countries in South Asia, they are also four times more likely to be out of school than their unmarried peers, as per the analysis done by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).

At the two-day Regional Dialogue on Adolescent Pregnancy in South Asia, which concluded here on Friday, the SAARC countries, UNICEF South Asia, UNFPA and WHO called for increased commitment to critical services for over 2.2 million adolescent girls that give birth yearly in South Asia, a joint press release issued by the agencies said.

“I appreciate the role of governments, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society for the improvements made by the SAARC region over the years in reducing teenage pregnancy,” said Ambassador Golam Sarwar, the Secretary General of SAARC.

“But the region still 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,” he said.

According to the joint analysis, every year, nearly 6,500 adolescent girls die in childbirth in South Asia, according to an analysis by UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. Most of them are child brides who have limited power over their reproductive health or lives.

When young girls give birth, their lives can be at risk as they are not yet physically ready to give birth. Thousands more girls are forced to drop out of school, face stigma, rejection, violence, unemployment as well as lifelong social challenges. Forty-nine per cent of young girls in South Asia are not in education, employment or training – the highest in the world, the press release said.

“We must do better for adolescent girls, particularly those who are married, pregnant or parents. In addition to hurdles to learn, get good healthcare and eat nutritious food, they are denied the opportunity to build skills and start businesses -- everything they need as parents to thrive and fulfil their potential,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia.

“We must work together and invest in opportunities to unleash the promise of more than 170 million adolescent girls in South Asia. Doing so would be transformative for this region,” he said.

Government and UN officials, adolescent girls, as well as civil society representatives from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have participated in the dialogue and reaffirmed their commitment to providing better services to support pregnant adolescent girls and young mothers. This includes opportunities to learn, set up their businesses, and earn a living.

The event held in Kathmandu over July 11-12 was jointly organised by SAARC, WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA and was inaugurated by the Secretary General of SAARC, Ambassador Golam Sarwar.

Adolescent mothers have a much higher risk of dying from maternal causes, compared to women in their 20s and 30s.

“It is high time that we reverse this trend. The unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and sexual development during adolescence necessitates special attention in national and international policies. Effective strategies to tackle adolescent pregnancy require cross-sectoral collaboration and equitable access to a variety of services,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.