Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
International

Philippines Only Country In Asia Where Teen Pregnancy Rising

Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Jul, 2016 11:45 AM
    MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is the only Asia-Pacific country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the last two decades and the slow decline of its overall fertility rate may deprive the country of the faster economic growth expected in places that have more working-age people than younger and older dependents, the U.N. Population Fund said Thursday.
     
    Girls aged 15 to 19 make up 10 per cent of the country's population of 100 million and one out of 10 of them have already given birth, UNFPA country representative Klaus Beck said.
     
    That fertility rate in that age group is 57 births for every 1,000 girls as of 2013 — higher than rates found by surveys every five years from 1998.
     
    He emphasized the urgency of fully implementing a reproductive health law, investing in quality education and health services for teenage girls, and increasing jobs for youth.
     
    The cost of not finishing high school education over the lifetime of young people would be equivalent to about 1 per cent of the country gross domestic product, he added.
     
     
    The study supported by UNFPA found that "due to the slow reduction in the fertility rate the country may not be able to benefit fully from the demographic dividend," or the balance of its population among children, working-age adults (age 15 to 65) and elderly. It said the window of time to reap economic benefits from the favourable demographics was closing fast.
     
    The Philippines' total fertility rate was 3 births per woman as of 2013, falling at a slow pace of 1.6 per cent per year from 7 births per woman in 1960. But the poorest quintile of the population has a higher fertility rate of 5.2 births per woman as of 2013.
     
    "With the right policies and investments in human capital, countries can empower young people to drive economic and social development and boost per-capita incomes," Beck said.
     
    Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the administration of new President Rodrigo Duterte will ensure quality education for the youth and full implement of the reproductive health law that guarantees universal access to methods of contraception, sexual education, and maternal care.
     
    The Supreme Court ruled the law was constitutional in 2013 but a year later it banned dispensing of subdermal implants, a popular birth control method because it is long-term and safe for breastfeeding women.
     
     
    Pernia said the government aims to reduce poverty by 1.25 per cent to 1.5 per cent each year, and a big push for that would be to reduce the number of children among the poorest people, citing surveys that show those couples have more children than they wanted.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Pakistan Hindu Scribe Forced To Drink From Separate Glass At Office

    Pakistan Hindu Scribe Forced To Drink From Separate Glass At Office
    "The bureau chief asked me to separate my drinking water glass in the office because some colleagues had reservations," claimed the scribe.

    Pakistan Hindu Scribe Forced To Drink From Separate Glass At Office

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan Demands More Autonomy After Brexit Vote

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan Demands More Autonomy After Brexit Vote
    London mayor Sadiq Khan on Tuesday called for the city to be given more autonomy to allow it to ride out the economic uncertainty unleashed by Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan Demands More Autonomy After Brexit Vote

    English May Be Dropped By European Union After Brexit

    English has been the top choice for European Union (EU) institutions but Britain's vote to leave the union last week could trigger a ban on its use.

    English May Be Dropped By European Union After Brexit

    Pakistan Cannot Conquer Kashmir Through War: Hina Rabbani Khar

    Pakistan Cannot Conquer Kashmir Through War: Hina Rabbani Khar
    Pakistan cannot "conquer Kashmir through war" and Islamabad can progress on the issue only in an environment of mutual trust with New Delhi, former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said.

    Pakistan Cannot Conquer Kashmir Through War: Hina Rabbani Khar

    Al-Qaeda Wanted To Swap Pak PM's Kidnapped Son For Ayman Al-Zawahiri's Women

    Al-Qaeda Wanted To Swap Pak PM's Kidnapped Son For Ayman Al-Zawahiri's Women
    Ali, who was kidnapped by six militants from Multan after an election rally in May 9, 2013, said he was first taken to the industrial town of Faisalabad where kidnappers kept him for two months before shifting him to North Waziristan.

    Al-Qaeda Wanted To Swap Pak PM's Kidnapped Son For Ayman Al-Zawahiri's Women

    Canadian Academic Homa Hoodfa Jailed In Iran For Dabbling In Feminism, Security

    Canadian Academic Homa Hoodfa Jailed In Iran For Dabbling In Feminism, Security
    Homa Hoodfar's niece, Amanda Ghahremani, said the Tehran public prosecutor made a statement to Iranian media on the case on Friday.

    Canadian Academic Homa Hoodfa Jailed In Iran For Dabbling In Feminism, Security