UNFPA

UNFPA and the United States

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, provides women’s health care and promotes the rights of women around the world. It is the largest international source of assistance to women.

Global Impact of UNFPA

Since its inception, UNFPA has provided more than six billion dollars to promote the health and rights of women. UNFPA has contributed to worldwide successes including:

 

  • A significant reduction of maternal deaths in Bolivia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mongolia, and Zimbabwe in a single decade (1994-2004).
  • The support of maternal health initiatives, through the training of midwives, improved access to contraception and hospitals and the advancement of emergency obstetric care in 90 countries.
  • An increase in contraceptive use worldwide from ten percent of women to sixty-five percent in three decades. Each year UNFPA provides 500 million women with contraception.
  • The integration of voluntary HIV counseling and testing into reproductive health services to reduce the prevalence of HIV. Every day 6,800 people are newly infected with HIV.

The United States was instrumental in the creation of UNFPA in 1969

At the time of UNFPA’s formation, the United States recognized the importance of global women’s health and rights. Investments in women’s health save and improve lives, slow the spread of HIV and encourage gender equality.
Fact: U.S. Government assistance to UNFPA is appropriated annually by Congress, but has been withheld by the Administration since 2002.

  • Sixty million dollars could prevent roughly 48,000 maternal deaths each year and could allow 21 million women to delay their first or next pregnancy.

The moral and political weight of the United States is lost when the government withholds funds from UNFPA

When the President refuses to allow the U.S. government to support the largest international source of assistance for women’s health and rights, the U.S.’s role as a world leader for human rights and global women’s health is forfeited.

Despite the United States Administration’s stance, the American public still cares about the world’s women. Since 2002, ninety thousand private American citizens have donated to Americans for UNFPA, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to UNFPA’s work.

Private philanthropy alone is not sufficient to meet the tremendous global needs for the health and dignity of women. Government resources and support for UNFPA from countries worldwide is vital.

UNFPA programs, which could be expanded and improved with U.S.support address serious global needs:

  • More than 200 million women globally want but can’t get safe, modern contraceptive methods.
  • Every minute a woman dies in childbirth somewhere in the world and almost all of these deaths are preventable.
  • Worldwide 600 million women are illiterate versus 320 million men.
  • Around the world,as many as one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some way.
  • In sub-Saharan Africa, young women are now three times as likely as young men to be infected with HIV.

Restoring U.S. Leadership with Increased Funding

A renewed commitment from the President and Congress is essential to restore the U.S. role as a world leader for women’s health and rights.

  • The President can release the funds already allocated to UNFPA.
  • Congress can allocate $60 million to UNFPA, including $20 million specifically for safe motherhood initiatives. Of all health indicators, maternal mortality displays the largest gap between the rich and the poor.
  • The next President can restore funding to UNFPA and re-establish U.S. leadership in improving the health and dignity of women.

UN agencies are not funded by UN dues; they rely on separate voluntary contributions from member states. UNFPA is funded through voluntary contributions from more than 180 countries. Even Afghanistan gives a symbolic contribution to show support of UNFPA. The United States is the only nation in the world to withhold a contribution for reasons that are political, not financial.

Congress could increase the allocated contribution to UNFPA. The U.S. contributes over $200 million annually to each of the UN agencies that provide economic development for low-income countries (UNDP), disease treatment and prevention (WHO), support for refugees (UNHCR), and support for children’s health (UNICEF).