Today, as we commemorate World Population Day, it is time to re-energize our commitment to universal access to reproductive health services, especially voluntary family planning. This commitment is as relevant today as it was when world leaders made it at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo.
Giving birth is typically the most joyful moment in a woman’s life. Yet, this very process takes the life of so many women worldwide. Every day, some 800 women die in pregnancy or childbirth from complications that are very often preventable. And for every woman who dies, around 20 more suffer from long-lasting illnesses or disabilities which range from infertility to depression. We already have an international consensus on how to address that. All we need now are resources and accelerated and sustained action.
Working for the survival and the well-being of women and girls is a human right imperative. And in order to take advantage of women’s full potential in the development of their nations, they must be able to plan their lives and families. This is why all communities are determined to making universal access to reproductive health a priority.
In Kosovo, maternal and child health indicators are considered to be among the poorest in Europe. Statistical data remains unreliable due to under-reporting, lack of information provided by the public and private health facilities and lack of vital statistic data. Even though, there has been improvement in Kosovo in the last decade in term of reproductive health, we must join forces to advance women’s empowerment and to ensure universal access to reproductive health.
“We can – and must – do better. On this World Population Day, I call for urgent, concerted action by Member States to bridge the gap between demand and supply for reproductive health care. We must mainstream reproductive health and rights into all development and poverty reduction plans. Investing in universal access to reproductive health is a crucial investment in healthy societies and a more sustainable future.” says Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his message dedicated to this day.
“Delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.”
