Jaipur, Jan 12 (IANS): A campaign to create awareness about teenage pregnancy was launched by Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, here on Sunday.

The event was organised by the Rajasthan State AIDS Control Society and the Population Foundation of India (PFI) to mark the National Youth Day.

Sharma announced the state's support for the campaign and participated in the event holding a placard that said, 'Zero Teenage Pregnancy'.

The campaign aims to educate the people, elected representatives and government officials and make them capable to respond appropriately to such cases.

"The aim of the campaign is to create greater awareness around teenage pregnancy in Rajasthan and encourage stakeholders to make a strong commitment towards ending teenage pregnancy.

"One-fifth of the population of Rajasthan are adolescents and their improved health will have a significant impact on the social and economic profile of the state," said Nikita Srivastava of PFI.

According to NFHS-4 data, 35 per cent girls in Rajasthan are married before 18 years, and more than 6 per cent of them either had children or were pregnant at the time of the survey.

Teenage pregnancies affect the health of adolescents as well as their education.