Over 1.2 Million Unintended Pregnancies and Over 480,000 Unsafe Abortions Prevented Since July 2017

KIGALI, RWANDA - Media OutReach - 13 November 2018 - A groundbreaking international report shows the use of modern contraception on the rise in Nepal, preventing over 1.2 million unintended pregnancies and 489,000 unsafe abortions between July 2017 and July 2018.

The report shows Nepal is on track to achieve its goals for modern contraception use by 2020, as the Government boosts spending on family planning.  However, over one quarter of married women aged 15-49 in Nepal still have unmet need for modern contraception.

Beyond Nepal, the report shows more women and girls than ever before are making the voluntary choice to use contraception in the world's 69 lowest-income countries.

The report entitled FP2020: Catalyzing Collaboration has been produced by Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) - a global partnership that supports the rights of women and girls to freely decide whether, when, and how many children they want to have.  The report for the first time ever includes new data on government spending on family planning in Nepal.  The report -- available electronically [progress.familyplanning2020.org] shows:

In Nepal:

• Domestic government spending on family planning of $2.2 million (2016)
• In Nepal, among women aged 15-49, an estimated 38.1% or 3.2 million are using a modern method of contraception in 2018. This is 622,000 more than in 2012.
• The rate of modern contraceptive use among married women has increased to 49.1%.
• As a result of modern contraceptive use between July 2017 and July 2018:

           ○     1,222,000 unintended pregnancies were prevented

           ○     489,000 unsafe abortions were averted

           ○     1,600 maternal deaths were averted

• However, 27.6% of married women aged 15-49 have an unmet need for a modern method of contraception.
• The Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act has been enacted in 2018 to promote and protect reproductive health and rights. The law also includes a provision making reproductive health care free of charge in public health facilities and emphasizes that services must be available to adolescents and disabled individuals.
• Adolescent Friendly Services are being scaled up and health facility staff are trained in providing services in adolescent-friendly manner. 1134 adolescent-friendly sites in Nepal have been established.

Globally:

• The number of women and girls using a modern method of contraception in the world's 69 poorest countries had grown to more than 317 million, as of July 2018.
• This is 46 million more users than in 2012 (the year FP2020 was launched) -- an increase that is around 30% greater than the historic trend.

Executive Director of Family Planning 2020, Beth Schlachter said:

"Rights-based family planning is a catalyst that unlocks the potential of girls and women in Nepal and around the world. Our goal is to ensure that each one is able to exercise her basic rights to self-determination, health, dignity, and equality.  This is a core strategy for countries to improve the health and well-being of their citizens and economy.

"Women represent half the global population, and there can be no healthy population globally or in Nepal without reproductive health care.  As we continue to build the framework for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), we must ensure access to full, free, voluntary contraception is included for all women and girls.  As countries build UHC strategies, rights-based family planning and SRHR services must be integrated within primary health care systems." 

Interviews about the report, and its significance in Nepal are available with the following individuals.  If you would like an in interview, or have written questions, please reach out directly by email.