Family planning is a lifestyle choice but in many countries where UNFPA works, this lack of choice can prove fatal.

BISHKEK, 14 November 2012 – according to the newly released State of World Population 2012report, launched today by UNFPA, today planning the number and timing of one’s children is largely taken for granted by millions of people who have the means and power to do so. Yet a large proportion of the world’s population do not enjoy the right to choose when and how many children to have because they have no access to family planning information and services, or because the quality of services available to them is poor.

Children by choice, not by chance

Recent UNFPA estimates show that every 2 minutes a woman dies of pregnancy-related complications. The four most common causes are severe bleeding after childbirth, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and unsafe abortion. 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries; most could have been prevented with proven interventions. This year’s State of World Population theme “Children by choice, not by chance” draws attention to the high rates of unintended and unwanted pregnancies, which show the lack of access to voluntary family planning as a major contributing factor.

“More than 200 million women, largely in the least developed countries, want to use modern family planning methods but can’t access them. They may face cultural barriers or family resistance. Contraceptives may not be available in their communities or they may not have the money to buy them, or there is a lack of information or trained workers to give advice. The result is human misery on a huge scale – and a major brake on our development hopes” says UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin.

Family Planning in the Kyrgyz Republic

Following a 2011 strategic assessment regarding the prevention of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortion, quality of care and public’s access to educational information continue to be a challenge in Kyrgyzstan. The assessment – carried out jointly by the Ministry of Health, UNFPA Kyrgyzstan and WHO/Europe – also indicates a need to improve the knowledge and skills of primary health care providers on contraception options and family planning.  The low knowledge and lack of access to contraception and family planning services led to almost 1% of births among females aged 15-17 in Kyrgyzstan in 2010.

Modern contraceptive use is low in the Kyrgyz Republic and the country lacks a reliable system that would ensure a sustainable Reproductive Health Commodity Security framework. Although UNFPA and other international organizations are providing a large proportion of contraceptives at the national scale, the number of abortions per 1000 births was 109.2 in 2011, a clear indicator that abortion remains the most frequent method of regulating fertility.

“Access to modern contraception is a fundamental human right” the UN Resident Coordinator, and UNDP Resident Representative to the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Alexander Avanessov appreciated. “Hand-in-hand with this right is a need to provide individuals and couples a range of family planning options that would give them the freedom to make their own personal choice.” Dr. Meder Omurzakov, Assistant Representative of UNFPA Kyrgyzstan concluded that: “This year’s State of World Population report and today’s event is about listening to couples and individuals, about meeting their aspirations, and giving them the power to create a better life for themselves and their families.”

The report also highlights:

• Inequalities in access to and use of family planning services across levels of wealth, education and place of residence;
• The social and economic benefits of a rights-based approach to family planning;
• The cost implications of a rights-based approach to family planning;
• Key recommendations to guide future investments, policies, and programmes.

For further information, please contact: Azamat Baialinov, Program Associate on Reproductive Health, , tel: 611202 ext 155, email: baialinov@unfpa.org

UNFPA: Delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted,

every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled