Published on: Friday, August 22, 2003 |
Kuala Lumpur: The need to disseminate correct information on living skills and reproductive health, including sex education, to youngsters is vital in view of changing life patterns.
The Prime Ministers wife, Datin Seri Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, said correct information must be provided to ensure that the move to prevent and control HIV/AIDS and to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions would be effective.
We need to provide our youngsters with correct information and knowledge on living skills, personal development, healthy lifestyles and reproductive health, including sex education, so that they can make correct decisions and choices, she said when opening the Eighth World International Association of Maternal and Neonatal Health (IAMANEH) Conference here Thursday.
Dr Siti Hasmah, who is also the patron of the Malaysian Association of Maternal and Neonatal Health (MAMANEH), said between 1.4 billion and five billion adolescent girls in developing countries had abortions each year and 10 per cent of all births were by teenaged girls.
She denied the fact that providing information to youngsters, especially on sex education, was a sensitive and difficult issue.
Nevertheless, we need to face the stark realities of changing behaviour patterns of youths today and be able to respond to meet their urgent needs, she said.
On the conference, Dr Siti Hasmah urged the participants to give priority to the poor and those affected by disasters when discussing maternal and neonatal mortality.
She said in developing countries there were serious resource constraints.
This underlies the fact that scientific evidence is needed for decisions on national allocation of resources for the most effective and efficient intervention strategies and programmes to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and improve the health of women and newborns, she said.
The World IAMANEH Conference is organised by MAMANEH. About 200 participants from Malaysia and abroad, comprising medical doctors, nurses and paramedics, are attending the four-day conference. - Bernama
