HYDERABAD: Early marriages lead worst impact on general and mental health, which further lead to increase in mother and infant mortality rate in Sindh.
Poverty and illiteracy are contributing factors of early marriages despite of under marriage is restraint by law in 2013 in Sindh.
The speakers at a seminar arranged by Sindh Community Foundation in collaboration with United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against women at Tando Muhammad Khan discussed various dimensions of early marriages and its worst impacts over the health of victims.
Javed Hussain, Head of Sindh Community Foundation shared the finding of report from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2013 that 13 percent girls get married before age of 15 years.
He referred a report that Pakistan further slipped 149 from last year’s ranking 147 in mother mortality rate.
According to report, Pakistan sustained high MMR of 276 per 100,000 live births and under-five child mortality rate of around 89 deaths per 1,000 live births in last decade or so.
He said that health practitioners might play effective role in counseling and motivation among people while they receive them for treatment. This section can play very effective role in sensitisation and mobilisation of parents to avoid early marriages by considering worst health impacts.
Dr Sangeeta was the view that female (30 percent) among them are anemic which is risk towards MMR as their intake is less besides imbalance diet. This ratio is high among girls in district.
Dr Iqbal Memon, Dr Nosherwan Memon, Dr Maria, Dr Zulfiqar Memon, Dr Tara Chand, Dr Arsahd Quershi and Dr Sunil also spoke at occasion. Participants emphasised lack of health education among communities in rural areas is also a factor of early marriages that they do not consider health risk in result of early marriages. The girls married earlier have less capability to handle family and children well and also impact on their mental health.
They said that along with legal awareness on child marriage restraint act 2013, health related awareness is also necessary. Family health education needs to be promoted at various levels by engaged local health providers under National Programme For Family Planning and Primary Health Care Programme, they added.
Published in Daily Times, July 30th , 2017.
