Examining teenage pregnancy, maternal mortality in Africa

Jul 6 2012

In this audio report in PRI's "The World," PRI anchor "Aaron Schachter talks to Agnes Odhiambo, a researcher on women's rights in Africa for New York-based Human Rights Watch, about the terrible toll of teenage pregnancy and childbirth in Africa." "Teenage pregnancy is an issue of pandemic proportions in Africa," Odhiambo said, adding, "Teenage pregnancy is really an issue that has serious negative consequences for girls, for the development of communities and for the development of cultures." She discussed progress toward reducing maternal deaths in various African countries and said that a number of factors contribute to maternal mortality, including a lack of sexual education for young girls, some traditional practices, such as early marriage, and the inadequate provision of health services (7/3).