Today is World Population Day
World Population Day (WPD) was created by the Governing Council of the United National Development Programme in 1989. The annual event raises awareness about various issues that affect us all.
Governments, businesses, organizations and individuals from all over the world will observe World Population Day by attending workshops, rallies and a variety of activities in honor of the occasion.
As people live longer and healthier lives, the population continues to grow and challenges also increase. Each year, WPD focuses on a specific theme. This year’s campaign, “Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services,” highlights the urgent need for reproductive health services for all women, with a goal of universal access by 2015.
According to WPD, reproductive health issues are the leading cause of “ill health” and death for women of child-bearing age. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, only 1 in 3 rural woman in developing nations receive “adequate” care during pregnancy.
Despite advances in medicine and technology, approximately 291,000 women will die from pregnancy-related causes in 2012. It is estimated that 80 million unintended pregnancies in developing countries will occur this year due to contraceptive failure and nonuse, resulting in 30 million unplanned births, 40 million abortions and 10 million miscarriages.
Women Reproductive Health Gift Basket
Sources:
World Population Day 2012: Reproductive health services for all women (examiner.com)
