15 July 2013
World Population Day 2013 Focuses on Adolescent Pregnancy
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The UN observed World Population Day on 11 July 2013 with a focus on adolescent pregnancy, as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged greater attention and resources be given to the education, health and well-being of adolescent girls.

Unfpalogo11 July 2013: The UN observed World Population Day on 11 July 2013, with a focus on adolescent pregnancy, as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged greater attention and resources be given to the education, health and well-being of adolescent girls.

Ban called for all adolescents to be provided with age-appropriate, comprehensive education on sexuality so that young women may decide “when and if they wish to become mothers.” He also called for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including maternal health services.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that each year, 16 million girls aged 15-19 give birth, and complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls in this age group, especially in developing countries. The agency reports that the youngest mothers face a heightened risk of maternal complications, death and disability, including obstetric fistula, and that their children also face higher risks. UNFPA stresses that this is a human rights and development issue as well as a health problem, and calls on governments to enact and enforce national laws raising the age of marriage to 18, and to promote community-based efforts to support girls’ rights and prevent child marriage.

The UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC) spotlights the issue of unsafe abortions, which affect around 3.2 million teenage girls each year. It notes that adolescent pregnancy is a major contributor to maternal and child mortality and the “vicious cycle” of ill-health and poverty. [Statement of UN Secretary-General] [Statement of UNFPA Executive Director] [UNRIC Press Release] [DESA Press Release] [UN Press Release]

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