11 July is World Population Day which this year focuses on adolescent pregnancy. As the world's population has edged to seven billion people in 2011 (up from 2.5 billion in 1950), it has had profound implications for development.
A world of seven billion is both a challenge and an opportunity with implications on sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment.
For World Population Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave the following message,
"When we devote attention and resources to the education, health and well-being of adolescent girls, they will become an even greater force for positive change in society that will have an impact for generations to come."
"On this World Population Day, let us pledge to support adolescent girls to realize their potential and contribute to our shared future," he continued.
Informing Choice through Education
About 16 million girls under age 18 give birth each year. Another 3.2 million undergo unsafe abortions. The vast majority – 90 per cent - of pregnant adolescents in the developing world are married. But for far too many of these girls, pregnancy has little to do with informed choice.
The UN cites inadequate education among sexual coercion, discrimination and rights violations as reasons for unwanted pregnancies. World Population Day focuses on raising awareness on the issue of adolescent pregnancy in the hopes of delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
- Read more in the original article from UN
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