FGM Linked to Increased Deaths in African Countries, Report Says

A new study has found that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a leading cause of death in the countries where it is practised. FGM remains legal in five of the 28 countries where it is most practised.

The study, conducted by UK universities, highlights that FGM contributes to more deaths in these nations than any other causes except for enteric infections, respiratory infections, and malaria.

The research analysed the numbers of girls subjected to FGM in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. The study found that FGM increases the risk of death for girls and young women by 50% and that it leads to an estimated 44,320 excess deaths per year.

Globally, over 200 million women and girls have been subjected to FGM - a practice that often happens in unsanitary conditions and without clinical supervision with consequent severe pain, bleeding, and infection. It is known to lead to obstetric complications, a reduction in sexual function, and other long-term physical and mental health problems.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates the aggregate cost of medical treatment for girls and women after FGM was U.S.$1.4 billion in 2018. However, until now, there has been no systematic evidence about the role of FGM in the global epidemiology of child mortality - reflecting difficulties in measuring the practice.