At least 20,000 women die annually due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and nine million more suffer from various complications, child health experts said in Dhaka yesterday.

They said about 60 per cent of the girls get married before crossing their adolescence and of them 58 per cent give birth to children exposing themselves to major health hazards.

Generally girls face more physical problems including early mar-

riage, early pregnancy and childbirth, abortions including violence while boys face psycho social problems and its consequences, they said at an advocacy workshop on adolescent reproductive health and problems, jointly organised by Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH) and Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB).

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khondker Mosharraf Hossain inaugurated the two-day workshop, in which doctors from 13 medical college hospitals and

others who are directly and indirectly involved with the adolescent health issues are taking part.

Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof M A Hadi, Director General of Family Planning M Fazlur Rahman, WHO representative in Bangladesh Dr Suneety Acharya, Advisor of Adolescent programme of OGSB Prof TA Chowdhury, Director of ICMH Prof Monimul Hoque also addressed the inaugural function.