Urgent Call to Action: Addressing Adolescent Pregnancy in South Asia

Every year, approximately 6,500 adolescent girls in South Asia die giving birth, most of whom are minors with limited control over their reproductive health. A recent dialogue in Kathmandu, involving SAARC, UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA, highlighted the urgent need to improve healthcare, education, and social support for over 2.2 million adolescent mothers in the region.

Every year, approximately 6,500 adolescent girls in South Asia die during childbirth, as most are minors who have limited control over their reproductive health, according to a joint report by UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA.

With 290 million child brides, South Asia bears nearly half of the global burden. In some South Asian countries, child brides are four times more likely to be out of school than their unmarried peers as per the analysis by United Nations agencies.

An urgent call for action was made at the recent Regional Dialogue on Adolescent Pregnancy in South Asia, where SAARC, UNICEF, UNFPA, and WHO urged for increased commitment to critical services for over 2.2 million adolescent girls giving birth yearly.