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28 April 2026, Narrm (Melbourne) - Guttmacher has today released its latest report '‘Just the Numbers Australia 2026’’, providing vital analysis on the impact of Australia’s foreign aid contributions for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programming in the Asia and Pacific Region. Australia has established itself as an incredibly important partner in advancing SRHR, particularly across Asia and the Pacific region, where it directs nearly all of its bilateral family planning support. SRHR accounted for approximately 2.8% of Australia’s official development assistance in 2023.Australia contributed an estimated AUD $49.2 million in 2024 for family planning. This investment enabled roughly 2.8 million women and couples globally to access modern contraception, leading to 830,000 unintended pregnancies averted. Yet significant gaps remain in the region, with 27.7 million women estimated to have an unmet demand for modern contraception. The research found that even modest investments at the country level would have a profound impact. For example, an additional AUD $1 million per year for the Philippines would serve an extra 56,000 contraceptive users, reducing unmet demand by 5%. Elizabeth Sully, Director of International Research at the Guttmacher Institute highlighted: “Australia's foreign investments in family planning are delivering measurable, life-saving results, but with global sexual and reproductive health financing in crisis, the stakes have never been higher. Australia has a real opportunity to deepen its leadership on gender equality and reproductive choice--and the data shows exactly what sustained investment can achieve: preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths. These aren't abstract numbers. They are real people who depend on these services.”Maria Antoineta Alcade, IPPF’s Director General, reflected: “We know that contraceptive services provide a significant return on investment - but most importantly, it's what women want and ask for. The question is not whether we can afford to invest in family planning - it’s whether we can afford not to. Our responsibility, as global leaders and funders, is to listen, and to act on what women need to prosper and thrive. These investments are not abstract, they prevent unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths, and give women the ability to have control over their own futures.”ENDS For further information or to arrange media interviews with our spokespeople from IPPF or Guttmacher, please contact Nerida Williams on newilliams@ippf.org or +66 62868 3089 (WhatsApp). NotesTo download the full report, please visit this link: https://www.guttmacher.org/2026/04/just-numbers-australia-global-srhr-investment-impact-2024 Australia is an established development partner in SRHR, contributing a portion of its official development assistance to expand access to essential services across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These investments have delivered measurable, life-saving results.In 2024, Australia’s family planning funding—estimated at AUD$49.2 million—supported access to modern contraception for 2.8 million women and couples globally, resulting in:830,000 unintended pregnancies averted303,000 unsafe abortions avoided259,000 unplanned births preventedApproximately 588 maternal deaths prevented

20 March 2026 - The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) strongly condemns the UK Government’s latest ODA budget allocations, which entrench deep cuts to UK aid and mark a profound and damaging retreat from its commitment to women and girls, with immediate and life-threatening consequences for millions.UK ODA will fall to £6.8 billion in 2026/27 and £6.2 billion in 2027/28, with only a partial recovery to £6.9 billion in 2028/29, locking in years of reduced support. This is not a reprioritisation of aid, it is the continuation of a political choice by successive UK governments to cut lifesaving support as global crises intensify, prioritising military spending over the health and rights of civilians, a decision that directly endangers the lives of women, children, and health workers.Among the programmes affected is the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health 2 (WISH2) programme, the UK’s flagship initiative delivering contraception and sexual and reproductive health services across 13 African countries, with IPPF delivering in seven of those countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Despite being described as “relatively protected” according to the government’s own Equality Impact Assessment (EIA), IPPF’s delivery will receive a 22% funding cut.These reductions will force a rollback of frontline services, severely disrupting access to lifesaving care for millions of women and girls. The consequences are stark: fewer clinics, fewer trained providers, and reduced access to contraception and essential life-saving health services. Since 2024, IPPF’s implementation of WISH2 has averted over 567,000 unintended pregnancies, 157,000 unsafe abortions, and more than 1,000 maternal deaths. However, a 22% funding cut now threatens to reverse this progress, projected to lead to over 442,000 unintended pregnancies, 122,000 unsafe abortions, and 770 maternal deaths due to reductions in IPPF’s programming — outcomes that would otherwise have been prevented.This decision will also have significant consequences for the UK’s relationships with partner governments across Africa. The programme has been a cornerstone of long-standing, trusted partnerships in fragile and conflict-affected settings, supporting national priorities and strengthening public systems. Abrupt funding reductions risk undermining that trust, disrupting jointly planned programmes, and weakening the UK’s credibility as a reliable and predictable partner.At a time when global aid is contracting and opposition to sexual and reproductive health and rights is growing, this decision sends a dangerous signal about the future of UK leadership on women’s health and rights.Maria Antonieta Alcalde, IPPF Director General, said:“Yesterday’s confirmation of deep cuts to UK aid through the government’s budget allocations will have devastating and immediate consequences. We know what these decisions mean in practice. They mean more women dying in childbirth, more unsafe abortions, and millions denied access to the most basic, lifesaving care.These decisions reflect a deliberate and sustained choice, in the UK and globally, to scale back aid while increasing military spending, placing the communities we serve and our healthcare workers directly in harm’s way. At the same time, we are seeing a growing and coordinated opposition to sexual and reproductive health and rights, exploiting the gaps left behind as funding is withdrawn.”We call on the UK Government to urgently reconsider these decisions, restore its commitment to women and girls, in all their diversity, and ensure that programmes like WISH2 can continue delivering the care that millions depend on. The consequences of inaction will be measured in lives lost.ENDSAbout WISH:The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health 2 (WISH2) programme is funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered through two consortia led by IPPF and MSI, alongside partners. The WISH2 Lot 2 Consortium is led by International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), with Ipas, International Rescue Committee (IRC), John Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHUCCP), and Options.The programme operates across 13 countries in Africa, with IPPF delivering in seven, and has been critical in expanding access to contraception, supporting community-based healthcare providers, and strengthening health systems in some of the most underserved and fragile settings.The sudden reduction in funding now puts this progress at risk, threatening clinic closures, disrupting contraceptive supply chains, and limiting outreach to the most marginalised communities.IPPF’s Impact:WISH2 builds on the success of the original WISH programme (2018–2024), which reached an estimated 16.9 million women and adolescent girls with modern methods of contraception across Africa and Asia.Since launching in 2024, IPPF’s delivery under WISH2 has achieved:1.8 million family planning visits, including 15% for young people under 201.2 million couple-years of protection567,000 unintended pregnancies averted157,000 unsafe abortions averted1,000 maternal deaths averted11,000 child deaths avertedIPPF’s partners have also generated £39.8 million in healthcare cost savings across seven countries, while driving policy reform and strengthening national health systems.About IPPF:IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952 at the Third International Planned Parenthood Conference. Today, we are a movement of 100+ locally led Member Associations with a presence in 150+ countries.Our work is wide-ranging, and includes services for sexual health and well-being, contraception, abortion care, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infections, HIV, obstetrics and gynaecology, fertility support, sexual and gender-based violence, comprehensive sex education, and responding to humanitarian crises. We pride ourselves on being local through our members and global through our network. At the heart of our mission is the provision of – and advocacy in support of – integrated healthcare to anyone who needs it regardless of race, gender, sex, income, and, crucially, no matter how remote.