According to the United Nations 53,000 women in Nigeria die annually of pregnancy-related illnesses. That is one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.
Many are teenaged mothers in a country with one of the world's highest adolescent fertility rates. A large percentage of these deaths are teenage mothers. Nigeria also has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in the world. VOA's Brian Padden talked to doctors and youth counselors in Nigeria who say teenage mothers are more at risk because of poverty, lack of access to health care and a culture that does not like to talk about sex.
The World Cup football tournament kicks off in one week, and host South Africa is busy putting on the finishing touches. But not everyone is looking forward to the tournament. Authorites in cities including Cape Town are being accused of clearing the poor from the streets - to create a good impression for visiting fans. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa has more.