South Sudan has one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy in the world, says the Health Minister.

Today is World Population Day. This year’s theme is Adolescent Pregnancy.

Adolescent pregnancy is not just a health issue – it is a vital development issue, according to The Ministry of Health.

Poverty, gender inequality, violence, childhood forced marriage and the power imbalance between girls and their sexual partners, and lack of education all combine to create a climate where adolescent pregnancy is a reality for many of the country’s girls.

Systems and institutions should be protecting young girls, but so often they fail, says the Ministry.

At the launch of World |Population Day, Dr. Michael Milly Hussein said that laws should be formulated that criminalize early marriage in order to protect young girls from pregnancy.

“One thing is also one third of the 15 to 18 years mothers and entered into legal marriage before the age of 18 and this is particularly our case,” said Dr. Hussein.

“There is need now for our colleagues in the Ministry of Justice to formulate laws that can really criminalize these issues of adolescent pregnancy.”

The key objectives of World Population Day in South Sudan are to raise awareness among young people about teenage pregnancy, advocate for girls’ education and livelihood and protect their human rights.

It is important to also empower all youth, according to the Ministry of Health in order to stop the high rate of adolescent pregnancy.

“South Sudan is usually known for a very high birth ratio,” Dr. Hussein said.

“We have something like 300 adolescent girls per thousand get pregnant. The worst part is South Sudan if it is the bad thing we are the highest, if it is good thing we are the lowest. Let us collectively whether in the ministry of youth fight this challenge and the youth also must be informed.”

World Population Day is being marked today in Juba, to create awareness amongst young people on issues of teenage pregnancy.