Sodiq Ojuroungbe A Public Health Educator, Mercy Aiyedun has called for the integration of adolescent, and youth-friendly reproductive health services in Primary Health Care facilities across the country. The expert, a Nguvu Change Leader, highlighted the critical need for more attention to be placed on this vital aspect of public health, stressing that reproductive healthcare remains a cornerstone of overall health and well-being for individuals and communities alike. In a statement made available to our correspondent in commemoration of World Population Day, Aiyedun argued that access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is not just a matter of individual health but also impacts broader societal outcomes PUNCH Healthwise reports that the 2024 World Population Day is celebrated on July 11, with the theme, “Leave no one behind, count everyone”.
According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund, every day in developing countries, 20,000 girls under the age of 18 give birth, adding that this amounts to 7.3 million births per year. The UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide, noted that the number of adolescent pregnancies is much higher if all pregnancies are included, not just births.
It noted that the situation is no different in Nigeria, with the United Nations Children’s Fund recently declaring underage pregnancy as a massive crisis affecting its adolescent population. In November 2023, the agency also committed $1 billion.