“Investments in reproductive health pay high dividends and advance productivity, economic growth and the rights of women,” said Ms. Obaid, stressing: “The health of women is not the focus of the health sector alone. The health of women depends on planning and investments across many sectors—in education, health, nutrition, gender equality, and infrastructure.”

“Roads and electricity, for example, should be directed towards health centres to support women and families,” Ms. Obaid emphasized. “National plans should prioritize community access to an integrated package of affordable and essential health services, including family planning, maternal health care and HIV prevention and treatment.”

Ms. Obaid assured world leaders that UNFPA was committed to helping nations strengthen their health systems and achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015.

“We are working with WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS and the World Bank to reduce high rates of maternal and newborn deaths in high priority countries,” said Ms. Obaid. “Together with the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, UNFPA aims to expand family planning to 100 million women by 2015. We are supporting national counterparts to train and deploy midwives, and also to prevent and treat fistula.”

“UNFPA fully supports the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health to be launched by the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday to save 16 million lives by 2015,” Ms. Obaid concluded.

Ms. Obaid received an MDG Lifetime Achievement Award in New York on the eve of the Summit, for promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. The MDG Awards are given annually to honour exemplary contributions towards the development goals.

Contact Information:
Abubakar Dungus, +1 212 297 5031, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Omar Gharzeddine, +1 212 297 5028, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it