United Nations Population Fund

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The United Nations Fund for Population Activities was started in 1969 and renamed the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1987.

The United Nations Population Fund is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs. The Fund works with governments and non-governmental organizations in over 140 countries with the support of the international community, supporting programs that help women, men and young people:

plan their families and avoid unwanted pregnancies
undergo pregnancy and childbirth safely
avoid sexually transmitted infections
combat violence against women
promote the equality of women

Together, these elements promote the human right of "reproductive health", that is physical, mental, and social health in matters related to the reproduction and the reproductive system.

In addition to direct action, the Fund raises awareness of these needs worldwide, advocates close attention to population problems, and helps needy countries formulate policies and strategies in support of sustainable development. Since 2001, it has been led by Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. The Fund is also represented by UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors.

UNFPA's work is guided by the Programme of Action adopted by 179 governments at the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994. The conference agreed that meeting people's needs for education and health, including reproductive health, is a prerequisite of sustainable development.

The main goals of the Programme of Action are:

Universal access to reproductive health services by 2015
Universal primary education and closing the gender gap in education by 2015
Reducing maternal mortality by seventy-five percent by 2015
Reducing infant mortality
Increasing life expectancy

These goals were refined in 1999. One of the most important additions concerned HIV:

HIV infection rates in persons 15-24 years of age should be reduced by twenty-five percent in the most-affected countries by 2005 and by twenty-five percent globally by 2010.

The Fund promotes a holistic approach to reproductive health care that includes access to a range of safe and affordable contraceptive methods and to sensitive counselling; prenatal care, attended deliveries, emergency obstetric care and post-natal care; and prevention of sexually transmitted infections by promoting safer sexual behavior.

In 2000 UNFPA took part in the African Youth Alliance.

AYA is collaboration between:

Pathfinder International: Youth Friendly Services (YFS) and Institutional Capacity Building(ICB);
PATH: Behavior Change Communication (BCC) and Integration of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) into Livelihood Programs
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): Policy and advocacy, and Coordination and Dissemination.

Its goals are to improve overall adolescent health and control HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.

The UNFPA’s Goals UNFPA looks to improve the lives and expand the choices of individuals and couples. After time, the reproductive choices they choose, multiplied across communities and countries, affect population construction and trends.

Work of the UNFPA The work of the agency revolves around improving reproductive health, making motherhood safer, supporting adolescence and youth, preventing HIV/Aids, promoting gender equality, protecting human rights securing reproductive health supplies and through this they use a culturally sensitive approach. Their major countries in need are third world countries who deal with these major problems.

The UNFPA supports programmes in four areas, the Arab States and Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the sub-Saharan Africa. They work in more the 140 countries, territories and areas. Around three quarters of the staff work in the field.

The UNFPA works in partnership with other United Nations agencies, governments and communities. Working together, the agency raises awareness and assembles the support and resources needed to attain the targets presented in the Millennium Goals and at the International Conference on Population and Development.

Some of the UNFPA work involves the lead in providing supplies and services to protect reproductive health. They also encourage the participation of young people and women to help rebuild their societies who are affected by poor reproductive health which expands out into areas such as prevention of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/Aids.

Two previous examples – Africa, Senegal There was a successful country programme which carried out three specific maternal mortality reduction projects that focused on the construction and renovation on equipping of health centres & rural maternity units.

Africa, Mali Through interagency team work, the country was enabled to build and provide 7 new community health centres in 3 areas and 1 new maternity unit.

Role of the UNFPA The UNFPA has a mission in which they want to accomplish and that is – UNFPA promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. Basically the agency’s goals including their roles are – • Universal access to reproductive health services by 2015 • Universal primary education and closing the gender gap in education by 2015 • Reducing maternal mortality by 75 per cent by 2015 • Reducing infant mortality • Increasing life expectancy • Reducing HIV infection rates

Criticism of the UNFPA:

The UNFPA executive director stresses the need to broaden participation and overcome mistrust among partners.

UNFPA and the United States Government

In 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, the White House denied funding to UNFPA that had already been allocated by the U.S. Congress on the grounds that the UNFPA supported Chinese government programs which include forced abortions and sterilisations. The UNFPA says that it "does not provide support for abortion services". Its charter includes a strong statement condemning "no coercion".

Nonprofit organizations have sprung up in an attempt to compensate by raising private donations:

U.S. Committee for the United Nations Population Fund

External links

[Official homepage]
[The Day of 6 Billion] official homepage
[UNFPA's FAQ on abortion]
[Transcript of Radio Free Asia interview which documents forced abortions in China]
[Global Youth Partners]

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