Press releases

Promises to youth remain unfulfilled, new report says

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 23 April 2012 — Urgent action is needed to protect and fulfil young people’s human rights, particularly their right to sexual and reproductive health. Only then would they be able to fully contribute to the development of their countries, according to a new United Nations report. Report

Summiting Kilimanjaro for UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign

MOUNT KILIMANJARO, Tanzania, 5 March 2012 – Yesterday, 75 men, women and youths started a three-day trek to the top of Africa’s highest mountain  with an extraordinary humanitarian objective. Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895m above sea level. The 75 climbers, representing 36 African countries, 14 United Nations agencies, businesses, women’s rights activists and civil society organizations – are participating in a continent-wide campaign to end violence against women and girls. Report

Launch of First-Ever Global Map of Devastating Childbirth Injury

Santa Barbara, CA/San Jose, CA/United Nations, N Y (February 28, 2012) — The largest and most comprehensive map of available services for women living with obstetric fistula was launched today by Direct Relief International, the Fistula Foundation, and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The release of the Global Fistula Map, a major step forward in understanding the landscape of worldwide treatment capacity for obstetric fistula, will help streamline the allocation of resources and raise awareness of the condition. Report

UNFPA TV mini-series and documentary in line for awards

NEW YORK, 23 February 2012 — A TV mini-series that will reach over 400 million viewers in 31 countries and a documentary film on Congolese women’s rights, both produced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Republic of Congo, are in line for awards at for the international film festivals of Liège and Montreal. The TV mini-series has already been screened at the Cannes Film Festival and is in the running for an award at this year’s Montreal Film Festival, the largest African film festival to be held outside of Africa. The documentary film Mouato: The Lives of Indigenous Women in Congo is also up for an award, at the International Film Festival in Liège, Belgium, in March. Report

More communities end female genital mutilation in 2011

UNITED NATIONS, New York — Almost 2,000 communities across Africa have abandoned female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in 2011. This brought the total number of communities renouncing the practice to 8,000 over the last few years, according to new findings by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. Report

Intel and UNFPA to boost health workers’ skills around the world

Collaboration will provide technological infrastructure to train midwives and health workers 

UNITED NATIONS, New York/SANTA CLARA, California, 30 January 2012 — The high number of unnecessary deaths during pregnancy and childbirth is unacceptable for Intel Corporation and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. In an effort to combat this, Intel and UNFPA announced a joint commitment to strengthen the skills of midwives and community health workers through technology and training materials from the two organizations. The new initiative will increase the capacity of health workers around the world through software and technical assistance provided by Intel, and wider availability of higher-quality education through training and materials furnished by UNFPA. Boosting the skills and quality of services provided by frontline health workers would be a key result of this effort. Report

Le Ministère de la Jeunesse et l’UNFPA vont créer un Corps de Volontaires NJECO

BRAZZAVILLE, République du Congo, le 26 janvier 2012 — Le Ministre de l’Education Civique et de la Jeunesse et le Représentant du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) se sont entretenus le 26 janvier 2012 au cabinet du Ministre de la mise en place d'un Corps de Volontaires NJECO pour faire participer les jeunes au développement national et offrir aux jeunes des perspectives professionnelles. Rapport

L’UNFPA a déjà consacré 2 milliards FCFA à la CARMMA au Congo

BRAZZAVILLE, République du Congo, le 19 janvier 2012 — Sous le haut-patronage de la Première Dame de la République du Congo, Madame Antoinette Sassou Nguesso, Marraine de la Campagne congolaise pour l'Accélération de la Réduction de la Mortalité Maternelle en Afrique (CARMMA), son Ambassadrice, la Vénérable Philomène Fouty-Soungou, a organisé avec le soutien financier du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) une journée de sensibilisation sur cette Campagne, avec la participation du Professeur Georges Moyen, Ministre de la Santé et de la Population, et des Représentants de l'UNFPA, l'UNICEF et l'OMS. Rapport

COP17 delivers breakthrough in response to climate change

DURBAN, South Africa, 11 December 2011 — Countries meeting in Durban, South Africa, have delivered a breakthrough on the future of the international community’s response to climate change, while recognizing the urgent need to raise their collective level of ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep the average global temperature rise below two degrees Celcius. Report

UNFPA launches Condomize Campaign in Addis Ababa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 6 December 2011 — The UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, and its partners on Monday launched its Condomize Campaign at ICASA to promote the use of both female and male condoms to fight HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Report

Galvanize support for family planning, UNFPA urges

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 29 November 2011 — With thousands of experts gathering in Dakar, Senegal, this week for the largest family planning meeting of its kind, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is calling on world leaders to invest in voluntary family planning, not only to save and improve the lives of women and children, but also to empower people, strengthen health systems and reduce poverty. Report

COP17 to showcase innovative responses to climate change

DURBAN, South Africa — The work on climate change by UN agencies in South Africa is producing interesting and promising results that contribute to the global discussion on effective responses. Climate change requires innovative responses – approaches that promote the effective and efficient use of scarce recources. In this side event, the UN System in South Africa will showcase four of these initiatives, reflecting themes considered representative of the UN's climate change-related work in South Africa. 'Innovation' – the unifying theme in these presentations – is direly needed as countries respond to the challenges posed by climate change. Media advisory note

People and possibilities in a world of 7 billion

Countdown begins: 7 days to 7 billion people

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 25 October 2011 — UNFPA released a world anthem entitled United. Performed by more than 50 musicians from 13 countries, United commemorates United Nations Day and marked the beginning of a week-long countdown to 31 October, when the world population is projected to reach 7 billion. Report

UNFPA head visits refugee camps in Kenya

UNITED NATIONS, Nairobi/New York, 1 September 2011 — Pregnant and lactating women in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa urgently need help as the survival of their families are particularly at risk. UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin visited refugee camps in Kenya in September to highlight the needs of women affected by the famine in the region, especially those who have been displaced by the drought and conflict. An estimated 12.4 million people have been affected by severe drought in the Horn of Africa, resulting in around 3.7 million internally displaced people in Somalia. The world’s largest refugee settlement, Dadaab in Kenya, has seen its population soar to almost half a million. Report