SE Asia represents 60 lakh teen pregnancies each year: WHO.

According to Saima Wazed, the WHO Regional Director for Southeast Asia, approximately 6 million adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 give birth each year in the Southeast Asia region, including India. This high rate of teenage pregnancy is closely linked to child marriage, which is a common harmful practice in the region driven by social and cultural norms. Child marriage violates girls' fundamental human rights, limits their access to education and property ownership, and poses significant health risks, including high mortality rates. The Southeast Asia region is home to a large proportion of the global adolescent population, but the children born to teenagers face higher risks of death due to lack of proper care and access to contraception. Effective strategies and investments are needed to address the issue of teenage pregnancy and its associated health disparities. [Extracted from the article]