April 29
Africa: Urgent Call for Country Leadership and Global Solidarity to End Maternal and Newborn Deaths By 2030
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will join global leaders to call for renewed commitment towards progress on eradicating preventable maternal and newborn deaths at a 29… Read more »
February 27
Rwanda: A Transformative Journey to Reach Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths in Rwanda
Rwanda has undergone a remarkable journey in tackling its high maternal mortality rate over the past decade. From an alarming 1071 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010,… Read more »
February 06
Africa: Defying Tradition, Championing Rights
"Is [female genital mutilation] religious?" Under a tree in the quiet village of Dalocha Woreda in Central Ethiopia region, Nuritu Sirbar, the Head of the Dalocha district Women… Read more »
January 10
Ethiopia: Reviving Tigray's Health System to Prevent Maternal Deaths
On November 22nd, 2023, for the first time in over a year after the conflict, surgeons at Adi Daero Primary Hospital started to bring life into the world again. Forty-year-old… Read more »
December 30, 2023
Mozambique: How Family Planning Is Changing the Lives of Youth in Communities Caught in Attacks in Northern Mozambique
Early in the morning, queues begin to form outside Lichinga Health Centre as medical staff prepare to treat patients, while nearby, mentors encourage people to test for HIV and… Read more »
December 07, 2023
Southern Africa: Raising Our Hands Together - Toward an Aids-Free Future
The young girls and boys raised their arms and stomped their feet during the opening of the 22nd International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA), their… Read more »
December 05, 2023
Africa: UNFPA Adds Voice to Call to End Aids and New HIV Infections At One of the Largest International Conferences
The 22nd International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA) opened with a resounding call from key development partners - including UNFPA, the United… Read more »
November 09, 2023
Africa: The African Population Experts Committee Meeting Kicks Off
The Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development of the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive… Read more »
November 08, 2023
Mozambique: 'I Encouraged My Daughter to Use Contraceptives' - Reducing Unplanned Teen Pregnancies in Mozambique
When Eulina João, 19, became a mother at the tender age of 17, she lacked crucial knowledge about sexual and reproductive health. She believes her life could have taken a… Read more »
October 17, 2023
Kenya: Young SRHR Advocates Stand Up to Fake News and Stigma
The majority of young people living with HIV, 60 per cent of the global total, are in Eastern and Southern Africa and only 70 per cent in 12 countries in the region have access to… Read more »
October 23, 2023
Africa: Youth Leaders Innovate to Pave the Way for Ending Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage By 2030
In a powerful gathering of innovative minds, UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, in collaboration with the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the… Read more »
October 11, 2023
Lesotho: Services Without Stigma - Halting HIV's Spread in Lesotho Through Non-Discriminatory Care
Since the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the rate of the virus's spread has slowed significantly, with new infections down 59 per cent from 1995. But that hasn't stopped it from… Read more »
October 09, 2023
Africa: Empowering Young African Women and Girls in the Digital Age for a Mentally Resilient Future
By Shudufhadzo Musida, Miss South Africa 2020 and Regional Champion for UNFPA East and Southern Africa, to commemorate World Mental Health Day Read more »
September 20, 2023
Congo-Kinshasa: An Inside Look At Life-Saving Mobile Clinics in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the health and protection needs of women and girls are soaring. Read more »
September 15, 2023
Ethiopia: War, Pregnancy and Hope - Setyelem's Harrowing Journey of Giving Birth in Ethiopia
ATAYE, Amhara Region, Ethiopia--Mother-of-two Setyelem, 29, had been diligent about going for antenatal check-ups during her first two pregnancies. But during her third pregnancy… Read more »
September 01, 2023
Congo-Kinshasa: Beating the Odds - Resilience, Hope and Safe Births At a UNFPA Mobile Clinic in the DRC
NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Although heavily pregnant and in pain, Kaindo Bembeleza waited patiently along with dozens of other women on a row of… Read more »
July 26, 2023
Tanzania: Using Art and Animation to Strike Down Female Genital Mutilation in Tanzania
Glory Charles Mlagwa, 25, is a medical expert and public health specialist. She is the winner of the 2022 Spotlight Initiative-supported FGM (female genital mutilation) Hackathon,… Read more »
July 17, 2023
Botswana: From Hours to Minutes - Drones Speed Up Medical Deliveries to Save Mothers' Lives in Remote Botswana
In the remote village of Mababe, Botswana, getting results from a straightforward blood test is no simple matter. Read more »
July 08, 2023
Ethiopia: As Drought and Floods Threaten Millions in Ethiopia, Midwives Are a Lifeline for Pregnant Women and Newborns
"Saving the life of this baby was a miracle and a blessing for my family. I am immensely grateful," said Amino Bashir, 25, as she held her newborn. Read more »
July 03, 2023
Ethiopia: Tigray's Road to Recovery - How a Maternity Waiting Home Restores Hope for Pregnant Women
Nine-months pregnant with her first child, Tigist Gebrerefael, 23, did not want to experience the agony other women in her rural enclave had endured during childbirth. "I have seen… Read more »
June 29, 2023
South Africa: Transformative Programme Gets New $42 Million Injection From Sweden
"Young girls in Uthukela have been spared unwanted pregnancies, because I was empowered as a mentor to give them prevention options," said nurse Gugu Shangase from Wembezi Clinic… Read more »
June 22, 2023
Southern Africa: Sweden Invests $42 Million to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health in East and Southern Africa
Sweden today announced a further investment of $42 million for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in an effort to transform the lives of millions of people in East… Read more »
June 09, 2023
Southern Africa: UNFPA Esaro Launches 2023 'We Scale' FGM Hacklab
Imagine a world where every idea has the power to change lives, where young visionaries like you can shape the future. We've already witnessed the immense potential of UNFPA East… Read more »
May 29, 2023
Zambia: Restoring Hope, Rebuilding Lives - a Day in the Life of a Fistula Surgeon in Zambia
Around the world, half a million women and girls are thought to be living with obstetric fistula, a serious childbirth injury that can cause incontinence and result in significant… Read more »
May 23, 2023
Africa: Prevention, Treatment, Reintegration and Advocacy - How UNFPA and Partners Work to End Obstetric Fistula
According to an African proverb, "the sun should not rise or set twice on a labouring woman". Read more »