Female genital mutilation "costly" – WHO

Some countries are risking up to a third of their health budgets by failing to tackle female genital mutilation, the World Health Organisation has warned.

The practice is exacting a "crippling" economic cost, WHO said, estimating that it could cost 1.4 billion US dollars a year in health care.

The figure applies to the cost of meeting all the resulting health needs of women harmed by FGM.

These include life-threatening complications during childbirth, chronic infections and mental health disorders – together with pain and other complications of urination, menstruation and sexual intercourse.

For many affected countries, treating these problems would require 10% of the health budget – while in some this rises to 30%, WHO said.

Dr Prosper Tumusiime, from WHO, said: “High healthcare costs for countries mount because of the tragic personal impacts on women and girls. Governments have a moral responsibility to help end this harmful practice.

“FGM hurts girls, imposes lifelong health risks on the women they become, and strains the healthcare systems that need to treat them.”

http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-economic-cost-of-female-genital-mutilation

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