Updates

London, 26th September 2011:  The third annual multi-national survey, exploring young people’s attitudes to sex and contraception, has been launched today to mark World Contraception Day (WCD) 2011, which takes place every year on 26th September. The survey, entitled ‘Clueless or Clued Up: Your Right to be informed about contraception,’ has shown alarmingly high levels of unprotected sex amongst young people as well as poor knowledge of effective contraceptive options. Furthermore, respondents are avoiding asking healthcare professionals about contraception through embarrassment and many cannot rely on their schools to provide comprehensive sex education. Read more...

Meeting was aimed at determining ways to accelerate progress to improve the health of girls and women in developing countries.

New York, NY, September 23 – Ministers of Health from several African countries joined high-level participants yesterday to identify programs and policies that will most effectively support the needs of disadvantaged women and girls in their countries. Timed to coincide with the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the forum focused on improving maternal health, which is one of eight global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at ending extreme poverty and strengthening health outcomes by 2015. Read more...

Originally posted by The World Bank:

The lives of women around the world have improved dramatically, at a pace and scope difficult to imagine even 25 years ago. Women have made unprecedented gains in rights, education, health, and access to jobs and livelihoods.

Despite the progress, gaps remain in many areas. The worst disparity is the rate at which girls and women die relative to men in developing countries. Excess female deaths account for an estimated 3.9 million women each year in low- and middle-income countries. About two-fifths are never born due to a preference for sons, a sixth die in early childhood, and over a third die in their reproductive years. Read more...