News from Population Matters.
-
Running to stand still? Meeting family planning targets.
A new report shows that the world is still not on track to meet contraceptive use goals by 2020, largely due to lack of government action and funding shortfalls. Slow progress The…
-
Campaigning for more UK aid for family planning
Access to family planning services is vital to poverty reduction and the success of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This was the message delivered by Population Matters volunteers, who spent…
-
US ends funding for United Nations Population Fund
On Monday, the US declared it was cutting its funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – an agency that promotes family planning in more than 150 countries – threatening the health…
-
One step forward, two steps back in African economic development?
Despite significant progress in recent years, Malawi’s government is concerned that young Malawis will inherit only poverty as economic gains are neutralised by population growth. Malawi sees an increase in…
-
UN population report: progress, but much to do
Placeholder lead The new State of the World Population 2018 report published by the United Nations Population Fund highlights the importance of having the power to choose the timing, number, and spacing…
-
Matters Not forgetting the men…
Placeholder lead With a rightful focus on women’s unmet need for contraception and the roles of female education and women’s empowerment in family planning, the importance of male contraception can…
-
Tanzanian president: “birth control is for the lazy”
UPDATE 25 September 2018 Since this story was written, the Tanzanian government has ordered a US health charity to withdraw television advertisements promoting family planning. This worrying development suggests that…
-
Egypt seeks fewer babies: South Korea wants more
Egypt’s government has announced welcome plans to curb its rapid population growth as part of its 2018-2022 medium-term sustainable development plan. Meanwhile, South Korea is adopting policies to increase its…
-
China may move to end two-child policy
The Chinese government may be steering away from its two-child policy amid concerns over the economic effects of a shrinking birth rate. These rumours were sparked by a social media…
-
Global Gag Rule – one year on
A year ago, US President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy. This led to major funding cuts to family planning services globally. A year on, the effects are starting…