There are major health problems that women face in developing countries due to traditions that are deemed dangerous must be stopped, said the head of public health at the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In some countries, there are terrible traditions that endanger the health of women such as child marriage or female genital mutilation that are widely used in many communities. These practices can cause serious medical conditions and even high mortality rates in some developing countries. Girls in these countries marry as young as 13 years old and some even give birth at this age.
Maria Neira said in a London event on maternal mortality that discussing traditions can be harmful to health. Being able to initiate changes in these traditions can lead to the protection of women and even girls.
She added, "A tradition that forces a girl to get married at 13 is a bad tradition. It's time to fight all of those traditions."
According to statistics the UNICEF, around 16 million teenage girls give birth each year wherein 70,000 of them die due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. Traditions like child marriage lead to early pregnancy and childbirth even before their bodies are prepared and ready. This will cause serious complications. Many of these childbirths even happen in clinics without appropriate facilities and health care personnel.
However, in the last 20 years, the rate of maternal mortality worldwide has been reduced by 50 percent. Also, about 289,000 women died due to complications associated with pregnancy in 2013. According to the WHO, many of these deaths happened in developing countries.
Neira added that education plays a major role in giving women the knowledge and voice for them to speak up for their rights. Furthermore, government agencies like the WHO can help women fight for their rights. "We need to focus on women because they don't have yet the power to fight for themselves. We need to empower them," Neira said.
