UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has launch two new initiatives that will increase access to family planning and improve maternal health in some of the most-hard-to-reach areas around the world, including post-conflict and post-disaster countries. These initiatives build on UNFPA’s more than 40 years of support to family planning and showcase its leadership in driving innovative approaches that empower those at the frontline to reach marginalized communities. This was announced at the 2013 Women Deliver Conference, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 28 to 30 May
The new project with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) that addresses the high unmet need for family planning among some of the world’s most marginalized populations, particularly in post-conflict countries and those in transition. UNFPA and IPPF will use their unique expertise to galvanize political commitment to help meet the need for family planning in 13 countries with some of the lowest contraceptive prevalence, including Bolivia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Myanmar, South Sudan and others. The initiative will boost advocacy and scale up voluntary family planning information and services in these countries, with an emphasis on young people and other vulnerable groups.
“To reach the 222 million women who are unable to access modern family planning, we need to think outside the box,” says UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin. “It is not enough to just distribute contraceptives; we must approach the situation holistically by creating an enabling environment that responds to the needs of women, men and young people and promotes innovative policies and programmes, including comprehensive sexuality education, and those that apply the latest technologies. We are excited about our project with IPPF which targets countries emerging from conflicts or natural disasters, where the need for sexual and reproductive health is the greatest.”
More than 3,000 people joined Dr. Osotimehin, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, philanthropist Melinda Gates, Chelsea Clinton, singer Mandy Moore and other global leaders at the Women Deliver Conference to promote investment in women and girls, share solutions for meeting the unmet need for contraception and discuss new post-2015 development goals on reproductive health.
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