Early marriage behind high child mortality in Chepang community

DHADING, March 26: Surya Maya Chepang of Jogimara-6 was married off at the tender age of 14. Surya Maya, now 24, has already given birth to six children. However, she says the number was just not enough as only one of her children is surviving now.

Five of her babies died within five months of their birth. Now left with only one child, she still has no idea about the multiple risks associated with early pregnancy.

Another Chepang, Santa Maya is already a mother of one and is now one-month pregnant. She informed that she is unable to breastfeed her child as she has developed rashes in both her breasts. "I didn't receive proper care when I was pregnant with my first child, which has weakened my health," she said. She added that the health of her child is also deteriorating due to lack of breastfeeding.

Teen pregnancy not only put mothers' lives at risk, it also contributes greatly to high mortality rate of children in Nepal. Young mother in Chepang communities lack proper maternal care, proper diet and healthcare, increasing the possibility of their children's death within few months of birth. High child mortality rate puts pressure on Chepang girls and women to give birth to more children.

"Lack of awareness, poverty and geographical difficulties, among others, have contributed to child marriage and high birth rate in Chepang communities," said Udyab Chepang, a Chepang rights activist and journalist. According to him, on average, Chepang women give birth to at least eight children before they reach 30 years of age. Sarita Chepang of Jogimara village, who is not even 21, is already a mother of three. She is unsure how many more children she is going to bear in future.

Although various organizations are actively involved in raising health awareness among Chepang people, the campaigns have not become effective due to lack of healthcare facilities nearby their place of residence. Chepang people have to walk for at least five hours to reach the nearest health post at Majimtar in Jogimara even for treatment of normal fever and headaches.

Members of Chepang community in the district go to shaman for treatment instead of walking for hours to reach the nearest health posts. Although many parts of Dhading are accessible by road, Chepang communities are still deprived from access to roads.

While lack of transportation could have made them reluctant to visit health posts, but it is also true that they still strongly believe in the traditional practice of visiting shamans for curing illness.

mother
Santamaya Chepang, 16, with her one-month-old child. She is expecting another child soon.
The only school in their village has classes up to primary level. Almost all Chepang girls get married between the age of 13 and 16.

"Parents think it's better to get their grown up children married rather than keep them idle at home," said Santa Maya, adding that some even elope themselves.

Most of the girls give birth within a year of marriage. However, none of them visit health posts for delivery. "I have given birth to nine children at home. I'm fortunate as I haven't faced much difficulty in child delivery so far," said local Shyani Maya Chepang. Only three of her children have survived at present.

However, many have not been so lucky. The health of most women is in a critical state due to early-age pregnancy and numerous childbirths. Lack of maternal care has made them feel feeble and weak. Most of their children are suffering from malnutrition. Also, they are exposed to risks of contaminating various diseases due to unhygienic habits and lack of sanitation.

Among the total of 52 Chepang households in the district, half of them have resources to feed themselves for five months. They rely on everyday labor for their survival rest of the months, according to local Toplal Chepang.