National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Grim Projections

The State of World Population 2003 Report points out the glaring need to spend more resources to help adolescents

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Despite increasing participation of adolescent population in various sectors, Nepal’s majority of adolescent population is yet to receive proper care from the state.

At a time when the country’s youths are struggling for survival, the state of world population report gives certain respite to them. “Meeting the adolescents reproductive health needs an urgent priority in the global fight against poverty and HIV/AIDS,” emphasizes The State of the World Population 2003 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

As more than 40 percent of Nepal’s population are adolescents, they are in vulnerable stage and living under the multiple shadows of HIV/AIDS, poverty and other social discrimination. The situation of girls is worse than the boys. In Nepal more than one million girls between ages 10-17 marry before their 18th birthday, disrupting their education and limiting their opportunities. Many teenagers, married and unmarried, give birth each year and many others face pregnancy related illness.

The HIV infection among the young is rising astronomically. According to the data published by the National Center for AIDS and STD Control, more than 60 percent of HIV infected are young ones - out among 3000 reported cases. UN/AIDS estimates that the HIV prevalence rate among adults is higher in Nepal. The girl children of age group of 13-20 from the marginalized communities are often driven into the sex industry inside the country as well as across the border.

“We have developed very good program to improve the situation but we are unable to implement them in proper manner. Formulating policies and programs are not enough to improve the situation,” said Kamal Thapa, Minister for Information and Communication, Health and Local Development. “The government will take necessary actions to allocate more resources in the area of adolescent health.”

Revealing the plight of the adolescents, the report shows how dangerous the situation is. “This report is a wake-up call. It is a wake-up call to listen to young people and acknowledge their needs. It is a wake-up call to increase finding and expand information and services to young people,” said Ms. Thoraya Ahamed Obaid, executive director of the UNFPA.

Although the government has already spent certain resources to generate awareness among the adolescents, this is too little and too late, say experts. “Nepalese adolescents populations, particularly girls, are in a very vulnerable situation. Maternal mortality is very high and girls are vulnerable to trafficking,” said Dr. Hernando Agudelo, acting representative of UNFPA-Nepal.

During the last 40 years, the population of Nepal has more than doubled, increasing from 9.4 million in 1960 to 23.2 million in 2001. Interestingly, more than 42 percent of the population are below 15 years of age, and 47 percent of the total female population are in the reproductive ages of 15-49.

“Many adolescents marry without knowing what reproductive health is all about and what the functions of organs of the body are,” said Dr. Wasim Zaman, director CST-SAWA, UNFPA. “ The early marriage means early pregnancy.”

“The young rural girls, who are usually unprepared for pregnancy and motherhood, and are under-nourished and under-fed, face a higher chance of death or morbidity as a result of their pregnancy,” said Roshan Karki, chief of the Aama Milan Kendra, an NGO working in the area of safe motherhood with networks all over the country.

The adolescents are unsatisfied about the investment made on them. “Our voices are ignored since many adolescents are living in deplorable conditions,” said Shristee Lamichhane, an adolescent expressing her views regarding their plight.

According to the report, neglect and under-funding of programs enabling young people to avoid unwanted pregnancy, unsafe childbirth and sexually transmitted infections are undermining development and spreading HIV/AIDS. Some 1.2 billion people –one person in five – are between ages 10 and 19, the largest number of adolescents in history.

“Today, a staggering 50 percent of the world’s population is under 25 years of age. Young people are growing up in a rapidly changing world. Many are bombarded with sexually explicit images,” said UNFPA’s executive director Ms. Obaid.

Nepalese policy makers also agree about the need to change the present status. “The government is aware about the plight of the adolescent population in Nepal. We need to take drastic steps to improve the situation,” said Kamal Thapa.

According to the report, Nepal is second highest just after war-torn Afghanistan in maternal mortality rate in central and south Asia. Nepal’s maternal mortality rate is 905 per 100,000 compared to 1276 in Afghanistan. Female literacy is lowest in Nepal as 76 percent female are illiterate against 43 percent male population. Total fertility rate is still higher in Nepal with 4.26. Only 12 percent of births are managed under the supervision of skilled attendants.