16M girls die yearly from pregnancy complications

AT least 16 million young girls worldwide aged 15 to 19 give birth and die each year, the United Nations Population Fund (Unfpa) stated, stressing that complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls in this age group, especially in developing countries.

“There are over 600 million girls in the world today, more than 500 million of them in developing countries. They are shaping humanity’s present and future. The opportunities and choices girls have during adolescence will enable them to begin adulthood as empowered, active citizens,” Dr. Babatunde Osoti-mehin, Unfpa executive director, said in a statement, as he vowed to bring the issue of adolescent pregnancy during the World Population Day on July 11.