Teenage Pregnancy Cases Rise Again

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Pregnancy

The National Population Commission (NPC) says the North-West zone has the highest number of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria.

The NPC Federal Commissioner, Alhaji Ya’u Usman, made this known at a press briefing to commemorate the 2013 World Population Day in Kaduna State on Thursday.

The theme of the celebration is, “Adolescent Pregnancy??.

Usman quoted the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) as saying that adolescent fertility in Nigeria in 2008 stood at 121 live births per 1000 births.

Represented by Alhaji Zakari Idris, the Kaduna State NPC Director, Usman said “this is very high considering other African countries??.

He said the state also had the highest rate of teenage pregnancy and motherhood put at 65 per cent, while Edo had the least percentage of 2.9 per cent.

According to him, pregnancy is the biggest killer of teenage girls in Northern Nigeria which also have a long term negative impact on sustainable development efforts.

“Teenage pregnancy worsens the population and reproductive health situation and compromises genuine efforts to promote gender equity and economic development,?? he said.

Usman said most pregnant adolescents were likely to have unsafe abortion, pregnancy complications, poor antenatal care and weak pelvic bones which often lead to high incidence of caesarean section in teenage mothers.

The NPC commissioner urged the government to implement the national and international conventions that seek to curtail teenage pregnancy.

He urged the state governments to curb adolescent poverty by ensuring education for girls were free and compulsory up to the secondary school level.

He said that the laws banning child-forced marriages and domestic violence should be strictly enforced.

Usman urged community and religious leaders to tackle cultural and religious barriers to improve reproductive lives of teenage girls across the country.

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