Child marriage: Malda to spread awareness in school kids

Malda: The Malda district is going to sensitise school children from class 8 to 12 against child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

A block-wise team comprising block medical officer of health (BMOH), nurse, health supervisor, lady police, inspector of schools, counselors, teachers will be formed to visit schools to spread awareness among the students against these vices. Different negative impacts (physical, mental, social, legal) of child marriage and teenage pregnancy will be discussed in these classes.

A similar drive was held a few years ago but the recent statistics prompted the administration to conduct the awareness drive with multi-stakeholders once again.

The recent statistics till September 1 of ‘Matrima’ portal state that teenage pregnancy in Malda is 21.43 per cent whereas in Bengal, it is 18.11 per cent. The other health districts in the state having a percentage more than 20 per cent include Rampurhat HD (health district), Basirhat HD, Birbhum, Bishnupur HD, Cooch Behar and Murshidabad.

Further, as per National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, the percentage of child marriage in Bengal is 42 per cent whereas in India it is 23 per cent and adolescent pregnancy in Bengal is 16 per cent whereas in India it is 7 per cent. Bengal was ahead of the national percentage in NFHS-4 also.

The district administration organised a workshop at the Town Hall in English Bazar with all the stakeholders on September 26 to train the teams to be visiting schools.

Sudipta Bhaduri, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), said: “We are going to make the teenage population of Malda aware of child marriage and teenage pregnancy. The planning and training has been completed and only the commencement of classes to be taken in the schools is awaited.”