Media Advisory
United Nations Gathering of Global Experts to Address Current Crisis in Family Planning
25 June 2009
UNITED NATIONS, New York— Family planning experts from around the world warn that the lack of funding for family planning is stalling development efforts in poor countries. Countries facing large population growth are especially at risk.
With populations expected to more than double in the coming decades in many African countries, declining health, increasing poverty, social unrest and inequality, and environmental degradation can be the result if current trends continue. In the poorest countries, less than 1 in 10 women are using contraception, and particularly the poorest populations do not have adequate access to family planning.
To address these issues, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is convening a group of 30 leading family planning experts, including representatives from Bangladesh, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, India, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States. The gathering, from 30 June – 2 July, will announce new recommendations on how to increase the availability and use of voluntary family planning, particularly among vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.
WHAT:
Tele press conference: Three experts will discuss the status of family planning in the developing world and its impact on population dynamics and inequality. They will also present results from innovative and successful programmes to increase access to family planning, explain how poverty and social status impact access, and share the latest information on funding needed for global access to family planning.
WHO:
John Cleland, London: Professor of Demography, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Area of expertise: Family planning and population dynamics.
Jalaluddin Ahmed: Associate Director of BRAC.
Area of expertise: Family planning and micro finance in South Asia.
Gita Sen: Professor of Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management/Adjunct Professor of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health.
Area of expertise: Poverty, gender and social status and their impact on access to family planning.
Moderator: Sarah Craven, UNFPA Chief, Washington, D.C. Office.
WHEN:
Tuesday 30 June, 1:30 pm- 2:30pm EST
HOW:
For callers in the U.S., call toll free: 888-299-7230 (passcode: UNFPA)
For callers in the U.K., call toll free: 0-800-404-7656 (passcode: UNFPA)
For callers from other countries, call: +1 719 325 2440 (passcode: UNFPA)
To reserve a line, please contact:
Nicole Tidwell, Communications Consortium Media Center, +1 202 326-8710, ntidwell@ccmc.org
Jessica Malter, UNFPA Media Officer, +1 212 297-5190 (office), malter@unfpa.org
