The World Health Organisation (WHO) says  teenage pregnancy reflects enduring “fundamental inequalities” in society, with serious physical and psychological repercussions for girls and young women.

WHO, in a statement on Wednesday, stated that teenage pregnancy remained the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19, which countries could help prevent by allowing them to remain in school and ending child marriage.

According to the UN health agency, each year, no fewer than 21 million adolescent girls in low and middle-income countries become pregnant.

About half of these pregnancies are unintended. Nine in 10 adolescent births occur among girls who were married before turning 18.

“Early pregnancies can have serious physical and psychological consequences for girls and young women,” Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO, said.

“(They) often reflect fundamental inequalities that affect their ability to shape their relationships and their lives.”

Allotey said that teen pregnancy carried serious health risks, noting that these include higher rates of infection, complications, and premature birth.

It also disrupts education and limits job opportunities later in life. Many young mothers end up trapped in poverty.

To help prevent teenage pregnancy, WHO is calling on governments to offer better alternatives to child marriage. These include improving access to education, financial services and jobs.

If all girls finished secondary school, child marriage can be slashed by up to two-thirds, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

There has been global progress. In 2021, one in 25 girls gave birth before age 20.

Twenty years earlier, the rate was one in 15.

However, big gaps remain. In some countries, nearly one in 10 girls aged 15 to 19 still give birth each year.

“Early marriage denies girls their childhood and has severe consequences for their health,” Dr Sheri Bastien, Scientist for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health at WHO, said.

She emphasised the power of education in transforming girls’ futures. At the same time, both boys and girls need to understand the concept of consent “and challenge the major gender inequalities that continue to drive high rates of child marriage and early pregnancy in many parts of the world.”

The WHO guidelines updated advice was issued in 2011.

They promote comprehensive sexuality education, which the UN agency says, is essential so that boys and girls know how to use different types of contraception and where to seek advice.

“It has been shown to reduce early pregnancies, delay the onset of sexual activity and improve adolescents’ knowledge about their bodies and reproductive health,” WHO said. (NAN)

The World Bank Group on Wednesday announced the inauguration of the next phase of its Private Sector Investment Lab(PSIL), focused on implementing proven solutions at scale.

This is contained in a statement issued by the World Bank Online Media Briefing Centre made available to Newsmen on Wednesday.

The statement said the new chapter also expands the Lab’s membership to include private sector leaders in sectors critical to job creation in developing economies.

It said these sectors included infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing.

“These industries have a proven ability to translate investment into broad-based employment and economic opportunity.

“This  aligns  directly with the Bank’s sharpened focus on job creation as a core driver of development.”

The statement quoted  World Bank Group President Ajay Banga as saying, “with the expanded membership, we are mainstreaming this work across our operations and tying it directly to the jobs agenda that is driving our strategy.

“This isn’t about altruism, it is  about helping the private sector see a path to investments that will deliver returns, and lift people and economies alike. It is central to our mandate.”

It said over the last 18 months, the Lab brought together leaders from global financial institutions to identify the most pressing barriers to private sector investment in developing countries and to test actionable solutions.

The statement said that the work had now been consolidated into five priority focus areas that were being integrated across the Bank Group operations and they include, Regulatory and Policy Certainty.

Others are Political Risk Insurance, Foreign Exchange Risk, Junior Equity Capital and Securitization.
It listed the new members of the Lab to  include Bill Anderson, CEO, Bayer AG and Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair, Bharti Enterprises.

Others  are Aliko Dangote, President and CEO, Dangote Group, and Mark Hoplamazian, President and  CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

The statement said the Lab’s founding members included senior executives from AXA, BlackRock, HSBC, Macquarie, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and Ninety One.

Others are Ping An Group, Royal Philips, Standard Bank, Standard Chartered, Sustainable Energy for All, Tata Sons, Temasek, and Three Cairns Group.

It said the Lab is chaired by Shriti Vadera, Chair of Prudential Plc.

The statement quoted  Shriti Vadera, Chair, Prudential Plc. and Chair, Private Sector Investment Lab as saying, “We are grateful to the Lab leaders who helped deliver such important results in the first phase.

“We welcome our new members’ support in continuing our focus on five key areas.”

The statement also quoted Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair, Bharti Enterprises, as saying, “The World Bank Group is leading the way with initiatives to grow economies and create opportunities in emerging markets around the globe.

“I have seen firsthand the power of connectivity to transform lives by creating opportunities for businesses to grow and communities to thrive.

“I hope that the successes of the telecommunications sector will be valuable as PSIL embarks on the next stage of its important work,” he said. (NAN)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers has convened a meeting in Accra, Ghana, to deliberate on the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc.

The Chairman of the Council, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb.

“The Extraordinary Session follows directive from the Authority of Heads of State and Government during its 66th Ordinary Session, mandating the Council to adopt modalities and a contingency plan for the disengagement of the three Sahelian nations.

“The ECOWAS Commission is expected to present memoranda addressing the withdrawal process, suspension of programmes in the affected countries, and challenges related to the free movement of people, goods and services.

“Additionally, the Council will examine the potential relocation of ECOWAS institutions and agencies currently based in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger with an eye toward mitigating any disruptions caused by their exit,” Tuggar said.

He said the session marked a difficult moment in ECOWAS’s history, adding it was never the community’s wish to deliberate on the withdrawal of member states.

“In recognising the sovereignty of these nations under their current military governments, we must now adapt and chat a forward-looking path”.

He urged the ministers to embrace institutional renewal and recommitment to regional integration, emphasising ECOWAS remain the most integrated regional bloc in Africa, underpinned by harmonised policies and shared vision for political, economic and security cooperation.

“As we look ahead, our responsibility is to maintain the ECOWAS legacy and pass it on stronger to the next generation. Our unity has been tested before and we emerged stronger. We will do so again,” he stated.

The chairman of the council stressed the need for the ministers to engage in constructive deliberations and ensure the effective implementation of the countries withdrawal, reaffirming ECOWAS remain the premier platform for tackling West Africa’s collective challenges.

“Membership, as the saying goes, has its privileges,” he added.

He expressed appreciation of member states to the government and people of Ghana for their hospitality in hosting the critical session on sideline of the inauguration of “ECOWAS@50” celebrations.

The minister described the commemorative activities as timely reflection of the bloc’s achievements and aspirations, saying the gathering demonstrated unwavering commitment to advance the sub-regional community and fulfill ECOWAS’s core purpose.

NAN reports that on Jan. 29,Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger  formally withdrew from the regional bloc.

The military-led governments in the three West African nations decided to withdraw from the bloc, and formed their own security alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September 2023.

With the withdrawal of the three states, ECOWAS now has 12 members. (NAN)