Only 18 percent births are attended by health personnel: UNFPA
A senior UN official has said only 18 percent of births in Nepal are attended by trained health personnel.
In a message issued on the occasion of the World Population Day (July 11), Ms. Junko Sazaki, representative of the UNFPA (UN Population Fund) in Nepal, said Nepal has one of the highest maternal deaths (539 out of per 100,000 live births) in the world. “The girls are marrying and giving birth before they are emotionally and physically ready. Often, they do not have a choice,” she said.
In Nepal, the ‘birth of a son’ is still rejoiced over that of a daughter. Girl child have less access to food, education and health services. Three out of ten girls are married between the age of 15-19 years, and one out of those three girls gives birth in the first year.
To change these situations, access to education is the key. Even mothers with only a basic education have healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries and healthier babies, because they are more likely to seek health-care services for themselves and their children, said Sazaki.
Citing some examples from around the country, the UNFPA representative said girls in Bardiya in mid-western Nepal refused to marry young. In Nuwakot, girls convinced their parents to send them to school. Even though female secondary school enrollment is increasing, gender gap still exists, she said.
The World Population Day was observed this year worldwide on Monday highlighting the theme “equality.” Where girls have equal opportunity to education, societies become more prosperous, the UNFPA said.
Scholars say the message is in line with the ancient Hindu saying (originally in Sanskrit), “Where women are worshipped, the Gods rejoice.” nepalnews.com by July 12 05
