Health Challenges for the Girl-child In Africa Posted by Admin on 3:30 AM No comments

Health Challenges for the Girl-child In Africa - A report by Africa Health, Human & Social Development Information Service (Afri-Dev. Info), Africa Coalition on Maternal Newborn and Child Health, and Pan African Campaign Against
Forced Marriage of Under Age Children, has shown the link between poor girl-child education and poor development indices and the impending consequences on Nigeria, Godwin Haruna writes

Human development and health advocates warn of a bleak future for Nigeria if the girl-child education, health and overall human development are not urgently improved. Scorecards made public recently, underline the link between poor educational attainment of girls, forced ‘marriage’ of underage children and under age child bearing.

A report detailing Nigeria’s scorecards produced on the occasion of the 2nd commemoration of the International Day of The Girl-child on the theme: Girl-child Education, has declared that eight states, among them Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Jigawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Katsina, and Gombe have the worst performance across all indicators on firstly, lowest girl-child education; secondly, highest female illiteracy; thirdly, highest adolescent girl ‘marriage’, fourthly, highest under-18 child bearing; and lastly, highest under-15 child bearing placing them in the highest risk category for maternal death and injury.

Scorecards underline that although worst performing states are from the North, it's a serious national problem affecting all states. For instance, Ebonyi State at number 12 (57.8%) for highest percentage of girl children not in secondary school - scores worse than North-central, North-east and North-west states such as, Nasarawa 56.7%; Benue 56.4%; Adamawa; 53.1%; Kaduna 45.3%; Plateau 45.3%; Kogi 36.4%; and Kwara 35.4%

Similarly, for the number of adolescent girls in ‘marriage,’ Bayelsa State is at number 13 (with 23.8% of girls in ‘marriage’) scoring worse than Adamawa 20.4%; Benue 20.2%,;Taraba 18.1%; and Nasarawa 16.1%/

Also in the indicator of females (aged 20 to 24 years) but whom had a live-birth before age of 18 years, Bayelsa State again at number 13 with 31.7% scores worse than Adamawa 30.5%; Taraba 29.3%; and Niger 24.9%. These 3 Northern states in turn score better than Delta 22%; Rivers
19.9%; and Anambra 18.9%

Human Development and Health Advocates call for urgent national and state level action including improved policy and investment by the federal government working in concert with the states to reverse the ugly trend. Speaking on the scorecards, lead advocate for the groups, Africa Health, Human & Social Development Information Service (Afri-Dev. Info); Africa Coalition on Maternal Newborn and Child Health, and Pan African Campaign Against Forced Marriage of Under Age Children Mr. Rotimi Sankore stated: “The education theme of 2013 Day of the Girl-child is crucial. The basic ability to read and write is absolute minimum condition to
function in a modern society, to escape from poverty and to contribute to community, national and African development.

“The scale of the problem is self-evident, and these are the kind of problems that the Governors’ Forum should be giving their most urgent attention to – especially from those 8 Northern states where it is obvious that the educational, health and overall human development of girls is key to their development.

“But the evidence also underline very strongly that poor educational attainment for girls, under age marriage and under age child bearing is not a northern or religious-based problem, but a national problem. The fact that Ebonyi State for instance, scores worse than some Northern states on the percentage of girls in secondary school; or that Bayelsa where President Goodluck Jonathan  was previously governor scores worse than some Northern states on both under age marriage and under age child bearing is evidence of this. We need evidence-based policy making in Nigeria. The problem goes beyond Senator Ahmed Yerima. People like him only make headlines because we expect that a former state governor and Senator should dedicate himself to creating an environment that protects under age girls from abuse and exploitation, rather than facilitating a negative environment for human development.

“Even in the best performing states there is still cause for concern. Edo and Ekiti States with the best secondary school attendance for girls still have up to 16 percent of girls not in secondary education. Lagos, Ekiti and Imo States with the least number of under age girls forced into marriage still have over one percent of girls in this terrible condition of forced domestic work, and sexual abuse; and Imo, Abia, Abuja, Enugu and Edo with the least number of under age child
bearing still have between 0.8 percent and almost 6 percent of under age girls giving birth.”

Speaking further Sankore said: “We need to see urgent action from the president, governors, National and State Houses of Assembly on girls education, health, human and social development. If 65 percent of teenage boys were forced into under age marriage with women old enough to be their grand mothers as in the worst performing state, there would be a national emergency. If 66 percent of teenage boys were forced into fathering children for older women as in the worst performing state, there would be a national emergency. The hypocrisy on gender equality and women’s development needs to end
now."

According to the report, the 10 states with the highest number of girls not in secondary school are from the North-west, North-east and North-central geo-political zones, i.e. between 67% and 87.1% of girls are not in secondary school in the following five states from the North-west, Kebbi (87.1%; Sokoto 87%; Jigawa 80.7%; Zamfara 76.8%; and Katsina 72.1%. Four states from the North-east, Bauchi 86.7%; Yobe 77.4%; Borno 70.9%; and Gombe 67.8%. One
state from North-central, Niger 73.8%.

The report further noted that the same 10 states (along with Kano State) also have the highest percentage of females aged 15 to 24 that are illiterate.

There are 16 states in which more than 50%, or half of girls in those states are not in secondary school: six states from the North-west (Kebbi (87.1%; Sokoto 87%; Jigawa 80.7%; Zamfara 76.8%; Katsina 72.1%; and Kano 59.9%). Six states from the North-east, (Bauchi 86.7%; Yobe 77.4%; Borno 70.9%; Gombe 67.8%; Taraba 57.8% and Adamawa 53.1%). Three states from North-central (Niger 73.8%; Nasarawa 56.7%; Benue 56.4%).  One state from S/E (Ebonyi 57.8%)

For worst performing states for adolescent ‘marriage’ and adolescent child bearing, the report noted that the 10 states with the highest percentage of adolescent girls, 15 years to 19 years of age in ‘marriage’ are from the North-west and North-east geo-political zones  – i.e. between 38% and 65.8 % of girls.

It added that six states from the North-west (Sokoto 65.8%; Jigawa 64.3%; Zamfara
63.6%; Katsina 60.8%; and Kano 41.5%) and four states from the North-east (Yobe 59.4; Bauchi 57.2%; Gombe 42.6%; and Borno 38.4%).
The 10 states with the highest percentage of females (aged 20 to
24 years), but whom had a live-birth before age of 18, placing them at higher risk of maternal death and injury, are all from North-east, North-west and North-central geo political zones.

It added that very worryingly, in at least 17 states between 2 and 12% of girls aged 15 to 19 have had a live-birth before the age of 15, i.e. the highest risk category for maternal mortality).

However, the report also indicated that there are better performing states in Nigeria for girls’ health and educational (human & social) development. The 10 states with the better secondary attendance for girls (lowest number of girls not in secondary school) are from the South-east, South-west and South-south geo-political zones.

In another development, to mark the second International Day of the Girl Child, UNICEF has highlighted the power of innovation to get more girls in school and improve the quality of learning for all children.

UNICEF stated that despite the decreasing number of girls out of school, too many around the world are still denied a quality education and a chance to reach their full potential. Evidence shows that even a single year of secondary school for a girl correlates with as much as a 25 per cent increase in her future earnings. But today, millions of girls are still out of school, including 31 million primary school aged girls.

“Education can transform the lives of girls and strengthen their communities,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. “Innovation can help us reach every girl by transforming education,” he added.
With its partners, UNICEF is exploring how technology can increase access to education for out-of-school girls and improve the quality of learning for every child.

“Innovation is giving us powerful new tools to reach and teach more girls than ever before,” said Mr. Lake. “To help more girls go to school, stay in school, and complete their learning, we need to keep learning ourselves, using these new tools, generating new ideas, and scaling up the most promising innovations,” he stated.