6:00AM BST 27 Jun 2012
Many fall pregnant only because they are denied access to contraceptives, either due to lack of availability or deeply rooted cultural prohibitions. The British government will launch a new campaign next month to spread family planning to millions of women in the developing world.
A report from Save the Children, due to be released today, found that "girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy than women in their 20s". The prevention of teenage pregnancies through the use of contraception would save many thousands of lives, adds the report.
"The issue of children having children – and dying because their bodies are too immature to deliver the baby – is a global scandal," said Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children. "This is a tragedy not just for those girls but also for their children: babies are 60 per cent more likely to die if their mother is under 18."
Despite these risks, about 20 per cent of girls worldwide have their first child before the age of 18.
The Department for International Development is planning a special summit to promote family planning. Traditionally, aid donors have steered clear of this area in order to avoid treading on cultural sensitivities.
Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Secretary, said that Save the Children's report "underlines the shocking fact that pregnancy can be a death sentence for many girls and women in the developing world". This was why Britain had chosen to hold a summit in London with the aim of reducing by half the number of women who are unable to gain access to family planning.
