The female genital mutilation (FGM) causes more than 44,000 deaths a year in the countries where it is practiced, according to a study by the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom).
This practice is the main cause of death in these areas after enteric and respiratory infections or malaria and It remains legal in five of the 28 countries where it is practiced the most.
In light of the study, the researchers demand the illegalization of this practice in countries such as Mali, Malawi, Chad, Sierra Leone and Liberia, since “the legal change could lead to a cultural change”. Furthermore, they argue that efforts should be redoubled if FGM is to be completely eliminated.
“Our findings show that FGM is one of the leading causes of death among girls and young women in countries where it is practiced, but lasting change requires a change in attitudes towards FGM in these communities,” she says. study co-author, Professor James Rockey of the University of Birmingham.
The research analyzes the number of girls subjected to female genital mutilation in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, and shows that 50% of those who suffer from it see their mortality rate reduced up to five years.