Video Player is loading.
Advertisement
Current Time 0:00
Duration -:-
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -:-
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
        UNOG-NEWS Unintended Pregnancy Crisis UNFPA 30MAR2022
        /
        2:32
        /
        MP4
        /
        185.7 MB

        Edited News | UNITED NATIONS

        UNOG-NEWS Unintended Pregnancy Crisis UNFPA 30MAR2022

        Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, says UN Population Fund

        Nearly a quarter of all women are effectively forced to have sex and nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended globally, new data from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) indicated on Wednesday.

        “Today, in countries where data is available, nearly a quarter of all women are unable to say no to sex. Nearly a quarter of women are unable to make decisions about their own health care. Nearly 10 per cent are unable to make decisions about contraception,” said UNFPA Geneva Director, Monica Ferro.

        She added that “of all pregnancies in the world, nearly half – half - are unintended. For the women and girls affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice – whether or not to become pregnant – is no choice at all”.

        For the UNFPA, the problem is closely linked to a lack of development, gender inequality and stigma, among many other factors.

        “It is a development issue,” Ms. Ferro insisted. “While every country continues to experience unacceptably high rates of unintended pregnancy, we see strong correlations between rates of unintended pregnancy and lack of development.”

        The UNFPA’s State of the World Population 2022 report also highlights how the crisis in Ukraine prompted by Russia’s invasion on 24 February and other conflicts are expected to drive an increase in unintended pregnancy.

        “We are that foreseeing that 265,000 women are pregnant in Ukraine and in next three months 80,000 will give birth” - many without access to critical maternal health care - said Ms. Ferro, her comments coming after the targeting of a maternity hospital in the stricken coastal city of Mariupol earlier this month.

        As part of the UN’s response, UNFPA has shipped essential medicines and life-saving sexual and reproductive health services and supplies to the country.

        “If there is no health facility for them to give birth, to have a skilled birth - skilled attendant’s birth - or if they don’t have access to healthcare, this is going to increase as we known maternal mortality and morbidity,” Ms. Ferro warned.

        Given the “staggering number” of unintended pregnancies every year – 121 million, or 331,000 per day – UNFPA has urged governments everywhere to do more to tackle gender inequality and stalled development – two of the key drivers of the problem.

        Among UNFPA’s other stand-out findings, an estimated 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe, modern methods of contraception.

        “We must make pregnancy an aspiration not an inevitability, and we do that by empowering women and girls to make affirmative choices about sexual activity and motherhood,” said Ms. Ferro. “For this to happen, we must reduce gender inequality and empower women and girls.”

        This includes rethinking what we know about contraception – including who should use it - the UNFPA Geneva Director said, amid a growing tendency for more women to question the health impacts linked to birth control medication.

        “One of the questions that we are often asked is are men interested in having a role in reducing unintended pregnancies or in controlling fertility. And it’s quite interesting, because in most of the places where we have data, it shows that men are quite interested. They don’t see motherhood or family planning as a burden only to be carried by women.”

        ends

        Similar Stories

        Yann Arthus-Bertrand Interview

        1

        1

        Edited News | UNOG

        Yann Arthus-Bertrand Interview ENG FRA

        What can each one of us do to save the planet, asks Yann Arthus-Bertrand on World Environment Day

        The last documentary film of legendary nature photographer, documentary director and environmental activist “Nature: The Call for Reconciliation” looks for an answer.

         

        UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on attacks around aid sites in Gaza

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

        UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on attacks around aid sites in Gaza ENG FRA

        “Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza, are unconscionable. For a third day running, people were killed around an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This morning, we have received information that dozens more people were killed and injured,” Jeremy Laurence UN Human Rights spokesperson said at the biweekly press briefing in Geneva.

        Gaza aid update - OCHA 30 May 2025

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OCHA

        Gaza aid update - OCHA 30 May 2025 ENG FRA

        Gaza ‘hungriest place on earth’ with aid stymied – UN humanitarians

        Starving Gazans continue to be deprived of aid as international relief efforts are being severely constrained by the Israeli authorities, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said on Friday.

        Gaza humanitarian update - OCHA, UNRWA

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OCHA , UNRWA

        Gaza humanitarian update - OCHA, UNRWA ENG FRA

        As a controversial United States and Israel-backed aid distribution plan gets underway in Gaza, the UN called on Tuesday for an “immediate surge” of its own pre-positioned supplies to help prevent starvation.

        Uganda UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani  urges president to reject bill allowing trials of civilians in military courts

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OHCHR

        Uganda UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani urges president to reject bill allowing trials of civilians in military courts ENG FRA

        UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today urged Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject a bill that was recently endorsed by parliament allowing trials of civilians in military courts. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces Amendment Bill 2025, which was passed on 20 May and now awaits presidential signature to become law, among others broadens the jurisdiction of military courts, authorising them to try a wide range of offences against civilians.

        UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango: South Sudan: UN human rights chief decries escalating hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OHCHR

        UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango: South Sudan: UN human rights chief decries escalating hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech ENG FRA

        UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan at the bi-weekly briefing in Geneva.

        Syria humanitarian update OCHA - WHO 23 May 2025

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OCHA , WHO

        Syria humanitarian update OCHA - WHO 23 May 2025 ENG FRA

        Syria: ‘Staggering’ needs amid insecurity, health care crisis  - UN humanitarians

        Millions of people in Syria continue to face mortal danger from unexploded munitions, disease and malnutrition and urgent support is required, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

        Gaza health update - UNRWA - OCHA - WHO

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | UNRWA , OCHA , WHO

        Gaza health update - UNRWA - OCHA - WHO ENG FRA

        UN life-saving aid allowed to trickle into Gaza as civilian needs mount

        Amid calls for more humanitarian trucks to enter the food and medicine-deprived Palestinian enclave of Gaza, UN humanitarians have received permission from Israel for “around 100” more aid trucks to cross into the Strip after only five were let in yesterday,  But the scale of relief efforts allowed remains entirely insufficient to meet the urgent needs of people there, humanitarian workers say.

        Press vests becoming a target - war reporter Christina Assi

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News

        Press vests becoming a target - war reporter Christina Assi ENG FRA

        A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.

        ITU 160th Anniversary - 17 May 2025

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | ITU

        ITU 160th Anniversary - 17 May 2025 ENG FRA

        The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) commemorated 160 years dedicated to connecting the world on Saturday, 17 May in Geneva, Switzerland, during the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

        Gaza humanitarian update – WHO, OCHA 16 May 2025

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | WHO , OCHA

        Gaza humanitarian update – WHO, OCHA 16 May 2025 ENG FRA

        Gazans ‘in terror’ after another night of deadly strikes and siege

        Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas and pleaded for the blockade to end.

        UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America

        1

        1

        1

        Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

        UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America ENG FRA

        Deportations over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raise a number of human rights concerns, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned on Tuesday.