News and Events
The Latest Fact Sheets on Family Planning around the World Disseminated Today
UNFPA, New York, 14 May, 2008
Forty years ago, world leaders proclaimed that individuals have a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children. Forty years later, contraception and family planning information remain out of reach for hundreds of millions of women, men and young people. Unmet need is extreme among the poor and marginalized. The theme for World Population Day is "It's a right, let's make it real."
In 1968, the International Year for Human Rights, United Nations Member States recognized the right of individuals and couples to decide their family size. In 2008, four decades later, how is the right promoted in our country?
Every country can tell a story about how the right was won. Champions of this hard-won right will always remember; World Population Day is about ensuring that future generations never forget. Today's young people are urgently in need of quality family planning information and services, with more than 1 billion young people aged 15-24 entering their reproductive years. More than 80 per cent of these young people live in developing countries.
Family planning is now a fundamental part of life worldwide. But funding is down while demand is up. Lack of funding affects young people most of all. This public health intervention with proven results is often overlooked and underestimated. It's also a matter of human rights denied.
Related Links:
Back to Top
Back to News and Events