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Community health workers respond to Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – In May, Sierra Leone detected its first-ever case of Ebola, the deadly and contagious haemorrhagic disease
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UNFPA deploys support for women, girls amid mass flight from Iraq’s Sinjar
Iraq
UNITED NATIONS, New York – As the security situation in northern Iraq deteriorates, the humanitarian needs of women and youth are multiplying. UNFPA estimates 380,000 pregnant women are currently displaced or at risk.
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Tens of thousands in need of maternal health services in Gaza
Palestine, State of
UNITED NATIONS, New York – The evacuation warning came at 11 on the morning of Wednesday, 23 July, as the bombardment outside intensified. Huddled in their home in the El Shijaia neighbourhood of Gaza, Iman Fora and her…
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Ugandan youth push for increased access to reproductive health services
Uganda
KAMPALA, Uganda - In 2009, Barbara Kemigisa learned she was pregnant, and also that she was HIV positive. The dual stigma she faced would be detrimental to both her and her baby, she told UNFPA Executive Director…
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Making family planning a priority in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Turkmenistan
ASHGABAT/DUSHANBE – Aygul, 23, nearly lost her life when she developed complications during labour due to a heart condition. Fortunately, she was rushed from her home in rural Turkmenistan to the capital Ashgabat, where…
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In South Sudan, opposition to family planning exacerbates reproductive health needs
South Sudan
WAU, South Sudan – The need for reproductive health care remains overwhelming in South Sudan. The country has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world, and health conditions are deteriorating under the…
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UNFPA responds to needs of 36,000 pregnant women displaced in Pakistan
Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Kiran Azeem Khan, 30, and her five children were forced to flee their home in Miran Shah, in Pakistan’s North Waziristan Agency, after military operations commenced there in late June. They left…
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Health needs escalate as crisis in Gaza continues
Palestine, State of
UNITED NATIONS, New York – On Monday, 21 July, the home and maternal health clinic of Feeza Shraim, a UNFPA-supported midwife in the Gaza Strip, were destroyed in an airstrike.
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Girl Summit aims to end child marriage and FGM/C
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Despite the advances made in promoting human rights, girls remain among the most vulnerable people in the world. In developing countries, one in three girls are married before reaching age 18…
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Young people key in the fight against HIV
MELBOURNE, Australia – Every hour, about 80 young people are newly infected with HIV, according to the recently released Gap Report by UNAIDS. The participation and leadership of young people will therefore be critical…
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In Niger, empowering girls to take a stand against child marriage
Niger
UNITED NATIONS, New York – When Zeinabou, from in the Zinder Region of Niger, was 15, her parents forced her to drop out of school and marry an older man. The brief marriage would be marked by repeated and escalating…
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Violence survivors seek support amid Syrian conflict
Syrian Arab Republic
DAMASCUS, Syria – “All I know is that I need help,” said Amal, a 46-year-old mother of five as she was admitted to the Al-Halbouni clinic in Damascus, Syria, for a medical consultation after she was severely beaten by…
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