given high levels of illiteracy and isolation, the level of knowledge about health risks related to pregnancy and childbirth are low and hardly informed by modern medical practices. there is poor demand for, and mistrust of, preventive services such as vaccination and birth spacing. Poverty, illiteracy and the low value placed on women’s health, lack of female decision-making power over their own health, and social and cultural norms associated with reproduction adversely affect decisions to seek health care and positive outcomes for mother and child. adolescent marriage and early pregnancy are common and associated with higher mortality risks for both the.
