Four Latin American girls become mothers every minute, UNFPA warns
- July 5, 2024
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IN Latin America and the Caribbean Every year, 36,000 children under the age of 15 become mothers.This means that every minute four girls are born in the region,
IN Latin America and the Caribbean Every year, 36,000 children under the age of 15 become mothers.This means that every minute four girls are born in the region, warns the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
“This happens especially in communities of African descent and indigenous peoples, where girls lose control over their bodies.”This was stated by the UNFPA Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Susana Sottoli. EFE.
At the fifth regional conference on population and development of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Sottoli was responsible for opening and closing the meeting, where they discussed topics such as teenage pregnancy or maternal mortality.
UNFPA management expressed concern about young community sector which have less access to health care or contraception.
“For girls aged 15 to 19, having to drop out of school is an obstacle to their life projects.” “It is premature to devote yourself to caring for your children,” the regional director said.
However, Sottoli focused on pregnancies among girls under 14, which are on an alarming rise:
We are talking about a completely different phenomenon, namely rape and sexual abuse, which require a rapid approach to criminal justice.
Social inequality
According to him UNFPA “State of World Population Report 2024”Teenage pregnancy is twice as common among the poorest adolescents from rural, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the region.
With this in mind, the council added that Latin America and the Caribbean is “a region of deep inequality, not necessarily a poor region overall, but a region with poorly distributed wealth.”
Women from these communities, in turn, are three times more likely to die from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. than any other region in the area, which for the lawyer is “unacceptable because science knows how to prevent these deaths, it’s a matter of public policy and discrimination.”
Adding to the difficulty of racially discriminated women is the situation, “especially if it is a woman who is not heteronormative,” as they tend to suffer greater social isolation from their own community.
State economy
“The entire country’s economy will suffer if more women continue to die in childbirth and if more girls continue to become pregnant prematurely.”“Sottoli said.
That’s why he cited data from a 14-country assessment by the Population Fund on the opportunity costs of not reducing teenage pregnancy:
The figure for what the country will lose if this situation continues is 0.28% of GDP.
To illustrate the data, He added that in Panama, these opportunity costs are equivalent to holding up Panama Canal revenues for about three months.knowing that it is the “economic backbone of the country.”
Susana Sottoli, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNFPA. | Photo: EFE.
According to research conducted by UNFPA in ten countries in the region, Teen pregnancy could cost up to $9.5 billion a yearand for every dollar invested in prevention, they will get a return of $20 to $40.
EFE
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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