Sweden invests $42 million to improve sexual and reproductive health in East and Southern Africa

Sources: Govt. Sweden, UNFPA, UNICEF
22 Jun 2023

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Sweden today announced a further investment of $42 million for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in an effort to transform the lives of millions of people in East and Southern Africa. The funding is being made available through Sweden's Strategy for SRHR in Africa 2022-2026.

The investment will bolster existing efforts by four United Nations agencies -- UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO -- to support countries and regional entities in East and Southern Africa to reduce maternal mortality including from unsafe abortion, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unmet need for contraceptives, and gender-based violence (GBV). The investment brings to $99 million the total amount committed by Sweden since 2018.

Continued: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/sweden-invests-42-million-improve-sexual-and-reproductive-health-east-and-southern-africa

When the U.S. Pulls the Funding Plug, How Do Reproductive Health Providers Proceed?

When the U.S. Pulls the Funding Plug, How Do Reproductive Health Providers Proceed?

Yam Kumari Kandel Senior Reporter
Linda Mujuru Reporter
Prudence Phiri Lead Reporter
Nakisanze Segawa Reporter
May 12, 2019

In 2017, the United States reenacted a policy that dramatically limited how reproductive healthcare providers around the world could use its money. But proving the policy’s actual impact on reproductive health programs worldwide, from Nepal to Zimbabwe, is difficult: Some providers found funding elsewhere, while others are reluctant to share information about their work, leading to a lack of data.

SURKHET, NEPAL — Kaushila BK and her husband, Dilip BK, have a son and a daughter. They say they can’t afford any more children.

Continued: https://globalpressjournal.com/world/u-s-pulls-funding-plug-reproductive-health-providers-proceed/

12.05.2019

Center for Health and Gender Equity

Dr. Amit Singh

Emily Maistrellis

Foundation for AIDS Research

Global Gag Rule

Guttmacher Institute

International Planned Parenthood Federation

Marie Stopes International

Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia

Reproductive Health Network Kenya

Support for International Family Planning and Health Organizations 2

World Health Organization

UN mourns passing of population agency chief Babatunde Osotimehin, ‘a champion of health for all’

UN mourns passing of population agency chief Babatunde Osotimehin, 'a champion of health for all'

5 June 2017 – Secretary-General António Guterres and other senior United Nations officials have paid tribute to Babatunde Osotimehin, the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), who passed away suddenly this morning at the age of 68.

“Dr. Osotimehin was admired globally for his leadership of the UN Population Fund and for his forceful advocacy for the world's women and girls in particular,” said Secretary-General Guterres in a statement.

“The world has lost a great champion of health and well-being for all.”

Continued at source: United Nations: https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56906

05.06.2017

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

What Donald Trump could learn from the feminist government in Sweden

What Donald Trump could learn from the feminist government in Sweden
by Isabella Lövin

Who has the power to make decisions over a woman’s body? Swedish aid policy is aimed at making sure the answer, everywhere, is: she does

Isabella Lövin is the deputy prime minister of Sweden

Wednesday 8 February 2017

It should be self-evident that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. Yet throughout history, those in power – usually men – have tried to control women’s bodies. And some modern expressions of this are still limiting access to contraceptives and making safe abortions more difficult.

President Donald Trump’s decision to ban American aid to all organisations that in any way advocate women’s right to abortions is very unfortunate. All experience shows that this kind of decision does not reduce the number of abortions; rather, it forces girls and women to revert to life-threatening procedures. Aside from the curtailment of human rights this represents, the policies of anti-abortion movements are catastrophic for those women who are at risk.

Continued at source: The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/08/donald-trump-feminist-sweden-swedish

Make International Safe Abortion Day an Official UN day

Open Letter to the United Nations, 17 August 2016
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Open Letter: full text with signatories

Press release, 17 August 2016: UN agencies supporting women’s rights have been asked today to send "a strong signal” to governments around the world by passing a resolution at this year's UN General Assembly in September to make International Safe Abortion Day an official UN day. An Open Letter was sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of UN Women, UN Development Programme, World Health Organization, UN Population Fund, UN Children’s Fund, UNAIDS, and UNESCO today.

“It is totally unacceptable that we continue to allow women and girls to die from unsafe abortions,” said Dr Eunice Brookman-Amissah, former Health Minister of Ghana and Special Advisor to the Ipas President for African Affairs, “We know from evidence that access to safe abortion saves lives – and we know exactly how to provide these services too.”

September 28 has been an international day of action in support of safe abortion since 1990, when the women’s health movement in Latin America first launched a campaign on that date. Today, abortion rights advocates in every region of the world organise activities each year.

[continued at link]
Source: International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion