On the 8th of May, a number of European countries will celebrate Mother’s Day 2011.
An alternate reality is that a large number of mothers will not live to celebrate this occasion, as 1,000 women and girls die each day from preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth - 999 of those deaths occur in developing countries.
Averting unwanted pregnancy is the easiest solution that could save women’s lives every day. Unintended or unwanted pregnancies could be cut by 71% and nearly 100,000 maternal deaths could be avoided if the existing unmet need for modern contraceptive methods were satisfied. Prevention is better than cure!
Instead of investing exclusively in maternal and newborn health care without any prevention mechanisms, simultaneous and integrated investments in both family planning and maternal and newborn care are crucial to prevent unwanted pregnancies and maternal deaths in the EU’s partner countries.Unfortunately, donor funding for family planning has stagnated in the past decade and the sector remains critically under-funded.
We therefore call upon you to do everything within your power to prioritize universal access to reproductive health, including family planning, not just in words, but also with increased financial commitments.
