Press releases
Press release
World Leaders’ Commitment to New Social Compact on Poverty, Unfinished MDGs, Boon to Millions of Women, Girls, Says UNFPA
16 July 2015
ADDIS ABABA—World leaders have agreed on measures to generate additional investments to tackle economic, social and environmental challenges at the United Nations Third International Conference on…
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Census Results Highlight Myanmar’s Development Needs
29 May 2015
NAY PYI TAW—A comprehensive profile of Myanmar’s 51.5 million people and how they live is available for the first time in three decades, after today’s release of the 2014 Population and Housing Census main results.
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Former UNFPA Executive Director, African NGO Win 2015 UN Population Award
08 April 2015
UNITED NATIONS, New York — Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, a former Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), an African non-governmental organization, have won the 2015 United Nations Population Award. The General Assembly established the award in 1981 to recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of population and health.
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$56 Million Needed to Provide Services in Ebola-affected Countries to Avoid Maternal Death Toll of Civil Wars Years
12 February 2015
UNITED NATIONS, New York—More than $56 million is urgently needed to provide vital reproductive, maternal and newborn health services in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This amount, according to UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will cover the initial six months of the UNFPA-led Mano River Midwifery initiative—a new Ebola-response effort that would increase the number of health workers to ensure that women and girls of childbearing age stay healthy and safe despite the crisis.
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Reproductive health care critical for pregnant women affected by Typhoon Hagupit
09 December 2014
MANILA, Philippines – Two million people have been affected by Typhoon Hagupit (locally known as Ruby), according to the latest government figures in the Philippines. They include more than 30,000 pregnant women in seven regions who may be in need of reproductive health services, including facilities and supplies for clean deliveries to prevent maternal and newborn deaths.
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Sexual And Reproductive Health Services Fall Far Short Of Needs In Developing Regions
04 December 2014
LONDON—A new report finds a staggering lack of basic sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries. The report, Adding It Up: The Costs and Benefits of Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health 2014, finds that currently, 225 million women in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy, but are not using modern contraceptives. In addition, tens of millions of women do not receive the basic pregnancy and delivery care they need to protect their health and that of their newborns.
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World’s 1.8 Billion Young Can Propel Socioeconomic Development, New UNFPA Report Shows
17 November 2014
UNITED NATIONS, New York—Developing countries with large youth populations could see their economies soar, provided they invest heavily in young people’s education and health and protect their rights, according to The State of World Population 2014, published today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
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New Report Shows More Women and Girls Have Access to Contraceptives in the World's Poorest Countries
03 November 2014
LONDON—Today, Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) released its second progress report detailing achievements since the landmark 2012 London Summit on Family Planning. The report, Partnership in Progress, shows the initiative is making steady progress toward its goal of enabling an additional 120 million women and girls in the world’s 69 poorest countries with access to voluntary family planning information, services and supplies by 2020.
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UNFPA Executive Director concludes Horn of Africa Mission with a pledge to scale up efforts on gender-based violence
31 October 2014
UNITED NATIONS, New York, 31 October 2014 -- Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, today concluded a mission to the Horn of Africa with the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, and the World Bank President, Dr. Jim Kim.
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Ebola Wiping Out Gains in Safe Motherhood
16 October 2014
UNITED NATIONS, New York — As the world intensifies its response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, the needs of pregnant women must be addressed urgently to save the lives of mothers and infants,…
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World Leaders Commit to Intensify Efforts to Realize Women’s Health, Rights, Equality
22 September 2014
UNITED NATIONS, New York—More than 120 presidents, heads of government, ministers and high officials from around the world today reaffirmed their countries’ strong political support to the historic…
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UN Secretary-General reappoints Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin as UNFPA Executive Director
21 August 2014
UNITED NATIONS, New York – The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has reappointed Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin as the Executive Director of UNFPA.
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