Nigeria marks 2013 World Population Day Nigeria has today been joining the international community to mark 2013 World Population Day celebration. Here in Edo State, the Federal Commissioner, National population commission, Doctor Tunde Lakoju said pregnancy is the biggest killer of teenage girls worldwide for girls and women between Fifteen and Nineteen years. The Commissioner stated this in a press briefing at the conference Hall of the National Population commission, Benin. Doctor Lakoju said teenage pregnancy not only imposes severe health and psychological strains on the babies and the teen mothers but also has long term negative impacts on sustainable development effort. He said it worsens the population and reproductive health situation and compromises genuine efforts to promote gender equity, educational attainment, family values and economic development. To ensure that the Nation’s population is effectively managed across sectorial lines for national development, the Commission said it is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring effective implementation of the National Population Policy and hoped that the implementation for the strategic architecture and the various interventions by the federal government in the health and education sector, job creation, social infrastructure and power reforms through the Transformation Agenda will not only help to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy but will also mitigate negative impact on the girl child and the society. According to the Commission, the commemoration of the 2013 World Population Day which seeks to draw attention to the negative impacts of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria is the determination of the commission to effectively manage the nation’s population as a veritable tool for sustainable development and improved standard of living for the citizens in Nigeria Roseline Igbinomwanhia reports that the theme of this year’s celebration is Adolescent Pregnancy.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 07:21:32 +0000