Govt takes serious view of adolescent pregnancy - Rohani

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry views seriously the issue of adolescent pregnancy which will scupper the girls' chances of pursuing higher education, besides exposing them to other risks such as abuse.

Concerned about this worsening phenomenon, its minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim said the government with the cooperation of various agencies had been carrying out measures to check this social problem.

She said adolescent pregnancy would not only rob the girls involved of their childhood, but would also affect their future.

"They will also face the problem of childcare in their state of unpreparedness to be a mother, mentally and physically," she said in her message in conjunction with the World Population Day which is celebrated on July 11 each year.

"The government always strives to ensure the wellbeing of all sections of society, including adolescents," she added.

On another note, Rohani said her ministry had formulated the National Reproductive Health Education and Social Policy (Pekerti) with the aim of producing knowledgeable individuals with a positive attitude towards reproductive health and social issues.

Besides that, she said, the ministry had also launched the Respect Women Campaign to raise public knowledge and awareness on the issue of violence against women.