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A year of war in Gaza: One mother’s hardships, heartbreak – and hope
GAZA, Palestine – ‘‘This story doesn't start from day one. It starts from nine months ago – the day I learned I was going to be a mother.”
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Providing women the power of choice through contraceptive access in Lesotho
Lesotho
MAPOTENG, Lesotho – "I want to be pregnant when I want, not by mistake,” 19-year-old Makhethisa told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
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“They are like family”: Mobile health workers care for women and girls uprooted by conflict in Sudan
Sudan
GEDAREF, Sudan – "Three days after I gave birth, we heard the sounds of shelling and gunfire near our home in Singa, [Sennar State],” 26-year-old Tsabeeh told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive…
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“Innovators, entrepreneurs and catalysts for transformation”: Three youth leaders on climate make the case for sexual and reproductive rights
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – The Summit of the Future has begun: World leaders are converging on New York City at UN Headquarters to forge a new international consensus on how to respond to the global climate crisis.
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Explainer: Why are gender equality and reproductive rights essential for peace?
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – The year 2023 was the most violent in decades, with the number of state-based conflicts rising to their highest level since the start of the Cold War.
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Activism, art and community as support networks for young people living with HIV in Ecuador
Ecuador
QUITO, Ecuador – “The reality of Esmeraldas is complex, but this community strength, this identity that constantly dignifies itself in search of joy, makes it a beautiful place.”
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Journeys of motherhood and hope in northwest Syria
IDLIB, Syrian Arab Republic – “I felt lost, because I couldn’t get pregnant,” said Alaa Nabeel from Idlib in northwest Syria. After suffering two miscarriages in three years, she was wracked with grief.
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“We say: Yes, you can”: Facing adversity and protecting women in the Peruvian jungle
Peru
CONDORCANQUI PROVINCE, Peru – “We face torrential rains, relentless sun and long journeys from community to community,” said Dafne Aquino, 25, a psychologist dedicated to bringing hope, information and essential health…
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“A race against time”: Djamila’s journey to hospital by canoe in flood-ravaged Cameroon
Cameroon
FAR NORTH REGION, Cameroon – As Djamila* clutched her pregnant belly, the floodwaters rose around her, threatening to engulf the fragile canoe she had escaped in.
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Four ways to build positive relationships and achieve good sexual health
New York
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Everyone has the right to enjoy sexual health, and to engage in safe, satisfying and fulfilling relationships that honour their bodily autonomy and uphold gender equality. But no one is born…
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“Hope had no place in our hearts”: UNFPA mobile health teams treat pregnant women fleeing violence in Sudan
Sudan
KHARTOUM, Sudan – Under shelling and gunfire, 32-year-old Esraa cradled her newborn son. As the war in Sudan broke out in April 2023, she was trying to reach a health clinic for treatment for her baby, who had been…
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Incorporating culture into care: One Afrodescendent midwife’s journey towards ending maternal deaths in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
SIXAOLA, Costa Rica – ”How can we incorporate our ancestral practices without forgetting everything that has already been achieved in public health?”
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