UNFPA GLOBAL POPULATION POLICY UPDATE

Issue 78 -15 February 2008

It is estimated that, by 2015, an additional amount of US$6 billion will be needed annually from domestic and international sources to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 to improve maternal health.

In 2004, the world's major donors invested only $530 million in maternal and newborn health. If this trend continues, MDG 5 and the corresponding ICPD goals, in particular universal access to reproductive health by 2015, will not be achieved.

The international community has a responsibility to increase investment levels and offer long-term financial support for this cause. Countries need to adopt and effectively implement laws and policies that protect poor families from the catastrophic consequences of unaffordable maternity care.

The following is a UNFPA press release on a new initiative by the Fund aimed at mobilizing further resources for maternal health, so that no woman dies while giving life.

---
Press Release
UNFPA SCALES UP EFFORTS TO SAVE MILLIONS OF WOMEN
Aims to Raise Nearly $500 Million to Reduce Maternal Deaths in 75 Countries

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 14 February 2008 - A new thematic fund for maternal health has been created to boost global efforts to reduce the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth. The fund, established by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will also encourage developed countries and private sponsors to contribute more to saving women's lives.

Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another 10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or disabilities.

"No woman should die giving life," said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. "To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers."

In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow. In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years. The reason is insufficient political will and inadequate resources, as women's health is often pushed off the agenda in favour of other priorities.

"It is critical to invest in women if we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals," said Ms. Obaid. "We urge countries to dedicate more resources to improving national health systems, training skilled birth attendants and promoting family planning. Millions of deaths and disabilities could be prevented, if every woman had access to reproductive health services."

Improving maternal health and reducing maternal deaths are at the heart of Millennium Development Goal number 5.

The thematic fund, which UNFPA has established in partnership with governments, United Nations organizations and other international partners, will help countries increase their access and use of quality maternal health services that would reduce maternal deaths and disabilities. It will also increase the capacity of health systems to provide a broad range of quality maternal health services, strengthen mechanisms to reduce health inequities, and empower women to exercise their right to maternal health.

The thematic fund will focus on supporting 75 countries* with the greatest need. The goal is to raise $465 million during 2008-2011.

*Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin , Bhutan , Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia , Cameroon , Central African Republic , Chad, China , Comoros , Congo, Côte d'Ivoire , Dem. Rep. of the Congo , Dem. Rep. of Timor-Leste , Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea , Ethiopia, Gabon , Gambia , Ghana , Guatemala Guinea , Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iraq , Kazakhstan, Kenya , Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Dem. Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali , Mauritania, Mexico , Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, United Rep. of Tanzania, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

For further information and fact sheets on maternal health, visit:
http://www.unfpa.org/safemotherhood/

All previous issues of the UNFPA Global Population Policy Update can now be found on UNFPA's website at: http://www.unfpa.org/parliamentarians/news/newsletters.htm .

----------

This newsletter is issued by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in its capacity as the secretariat for the biennial International Parliamentarians' Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI/ICPD). The first IPCI/ICPD was held in November 2002 in Ottawa, Canada, the second in October 2004 in Strasbourg, France and the third in November 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. These dispatches are intended to highlight important developments taking place around the world so that parliamentarians can be kept informed of and learn from the successes, setbacks and challenges encountered by their fellow parliamentarians in other countries and regions in their efforts to promote the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (September 1994, Cairo, Egypt). It should be noted that UNFPA does not necessarily endorse all of the policies described in this newsletter.

Please send mailing list update information to Ragaa Said at said@unfpa.org. If you have any questions or comments on the content of this newsletter, please contact Ragaa Said at said@unfpa.org  or Safiye Cagar at cagar@unfpa.org.