More Young Girls below 18 die from complications in Child birth

Co-founder of Safe Motherhood
 Alliance PNG Dame Carol Kidu Speaking
during the conference. 

Every single day, five women and girls in Papua New Guinea  die from complications associated with childbirth or pregnancy or most times unplanned pregnancy and most of these are young girls below the age of 18.

This was made known today at a conference by the co-founder of Safe Motherhood Alliance, Dame Carol Kidu.

Dame Carol said most young girls do not plan to get pregnant and when they do they face stigma and discrimination.

"However, such should not be the case as there are counseling and advocacy centers where young people can seek help from," she said.

"The cultural taboos that discourage talking to adolescences on the topic of sex is a barrier in advocating young people as it's stopping them from being sexually is a challenge."

Dame Kidu added that times are changing and so comprehensive sex education must be in the learning curriculum in school to address the growing the issue of teenage pregnancy.

PNG Today / PNG FM