Barack Obama restores U.S. financial support for family planning

Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA  (UN Population Fund)  along with other UN partners including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, welcomed President Obama’s new approach to family planning for developing countries.

Speaking at a press conference, Ms. Obaid said: “President Obama’s decision could not have come at a more critical time.”  “If women are to stop dying in childbirth and if reproductive health for all is to become a reality, we need increased political and financial commitment at all levels to implement strategies that we know will work. With the renewed US support to women and to UNFPA, the odds of that happening are greatly improved.”

President Obama said on Friday that he looked forward to working with Congress to restore U.S. financial support for the U.N. Population Fund and other UN partners. By resuming funding to UNFPA, the U.S. will be working with 180 other donor nations to prevent HIV/AIDS and provide family planning assistance to women in 154 countries.

UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid welcomed President Obama’s decision to restore funding and noted how quickly he addressed the issue. “The President’s actions send a strong message about his leadership and his desire to support causes that will promote peace and dignity, equality for women and girls and economic development in the poorest regions of the world. And access to reproductive health is at the core of all of these issues.”

Globally, the rate of death from pregnancy and childbirth has declined just one percent between 1990 and 2005. Every minute a women loses her life giving life, adding up to 10 million women over a generation. Ninety-nine per cent of these deaths occur in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Congressionally-approved funding for UNFPA has been withheld by the U.S. Administration for the past seven years. During that time, the Fund has not received a total of $244 million in U.S. funding.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download