Young girls below 18 years of age have been advised to avoid getting pregnant to avoid complications while giving birth.

The result aimed to tackle social and gender norms, improve facility-based deliveries, and ultimately lead to a significant reduction in maternal and child mortality and morbidity rates in the state.

The meeting organised by Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N), with support from USAID was attended by Social Behavioral Change Advocacy Core Group made of the religious leaders, CSOs, Media, ministry of Health, girls guard and other agencies.

According to SBC-ACG members, while condemning early marriage, urged young teenagers to, as a matter of importance, avoid being pregnant until they become 18 years and above, noting that more of the mother and child mortality witnessed in the state were more of girls below 18 years of age.

They however called on parents and guardians to avoid giving out their children out for marriage at a tender age to avoid lost of life while giving birth to another life even as they urged men to support their wife’s during pregnancy, after delivery and also ensure that other family members understand and support their wife’s needs during these periods.

In their separate speeches, the Chairman, Southeast Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Charles Mkpuma, among others, expressed grave concern over the development.

Mkpuma, also the chairman, Ebonyi State Traditional Rulers Council, decried the high level of nonchalance and laxity among the few Nurses and other health workers in the facilities as discouraging, and called for effective supervision from the Ministry of Health.

Also HRH Oketa enjoined all the traditional rulers to enact a traditional law making it compulsory for all pregnant women to seek services from health facilities prescribing punishment for any man who refuses to support the wife in that regard.

In his part, the acting Executive Secretary Primary Health Vincent commends the SBC-ACG group for taking up the call to sensitise the people of the State on the importance of health.

Recall that Ebonyi, according to health reports, is one of the states in Southeast Nigeria with a high rate of maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity. (Nigerian Tribune)

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