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The International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Director General Designate, Dr Alvaro Bermejo, has welcomed a renewed commitment from the Government of Japan at the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Forum 2017 to sexual and reproductive health services. At the Forum, Japanese Prime Minister Abe announced Japan’s pledge to provide UHC assistance, examples of outcomes of which include provision of 40 million sexual and reproductive health services and prevent 500,000 unintended pregnancies. It forms part of a much wider commitment by Japan to spend $2.9 billion US for health, nutrition, and water and sanitation to promote UHC further. Speaking at the UHC Forum in Tokyo, Dr Bermejo said: “The Tokyo Declaration is welcome news for those that worry that women who want to delay or avoid pregnancy don’t have access to modern methods of contraception. More than 200 million women are in this situation today. I’m optimistic that comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services will be recognised everywhere as a centrepiece of universal health coverage.” Dr Bermejo joined Prime Minister Abe and representatives from other global organisations, including The World Bank, The United Nations, The World Health Organisation and UNICEF in a joint show of support for the commitment made by Japan at the UHC Forum. He added: “With 152 member associations IPPF is the world’s largest network of locally owned, globally connected civil society organisations. We provide reproductive health services in 172 countries. Tokyo is good news, but we need to make it meaningful at country level. That is where, in the end, universal access to sexual and reproductive health services that are stigma-free, good quality and affordable for everyone contributes to universal health coverage.”

In the latest People and Power documentary, the team travel round Mozambique with AMODEFA, to look first-hand at the human impact the Gag rule has had in the country. The Global Gag Rule denies U.S. funding to organisations like IPPF if they use money from other donors to provide abortion services, counselling or referrals—even if abortion is legal in a country. It blocks critical funding for health services like contraception, maternal health, and HIV prevention and treatment for any organisation that refuses to sign it. The documentary talks to AMODEFA clients and staff who have been involved and helped by the US funded health programmes covering young people, HIV and Tuberculosis. AMODEFA faces significant losses to their programming budget of $2 million. Work that has built trust and provided support and treatment for many people who would have been left behind. The documentary spans several provinces, with the team visiting specialised outreach services that go out to the most rural populations. ‘We will have generations that are sick without knowing what they have. They will run the risk of transmitting HIV to other people because they do not know their HIV status,’ says project leader, Dr Marcel Kant. ‘We are condemning our society to live with this illness and there will be a large number of deaths.’ IPPF is working with AMODEFA to find alternative sources of funding. Executive Director Santos Simione, is working tirelessly with his team to ensure AMODEFA’s works continues, “We must be resilient! This also means being resilient to ensure that the progress made in sexual and reproductive health and rights continues and the provision of services minimizes the suffering of our population, particularly adolescents and young people, women and children”. The team Read more about AMODEFA's tireless work in Mozambique

Dr Bermejo has more than 20 years’ experience as a senior executive in global federations, working across HIV and AIDS, humanitarian issues and health policy. He is currently Executive Director of the Survive and Thrive portfolio at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), where he helped build an adolescent sexual and reproductive health portfolio in addition to the more established health, nutrition and education portfolios. Prior to joining CIFF, he led the International HIV/AIDS Alliance for more than a decade, where he oversaw rapid growth in its programmes and new country expansion as well as achieving significant policy influence. Dr Bermejo also spent more than ten years with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), where latterly as Director, Health and Care, he created the environment and partnerships that positioned the Red Cross as a key player in the fight against HIV and AIDS and helped establish the IFRC’s global emergency health response mechanisms. Dr Bermejo is a Spanish national. He qualified as a medical doctor from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and holds an MA in Public Health from the University of Leeds. Dr Bermejo was the unanimous choice of IPPF’s Search Committee from a field of extremely strong candidates and his appointment was ratified unanimously by IPPF’s full Governing Council. Dr Bermejo said: “I am thrilled to have been selected to lead the extraordinary work IPPF, its member associations, volunteer and activist supporter base does to demand and deliver sexual and reproductive health and rights. We need it more than ever.” IPPF’s outgoing President Professor Naomi Seboni said: “We are delighted that Dr Bermejo will be joining our Federation as its new leader. He has an outstanding record in the fields of health and education and was our unanimous choice from an extremely strong field of candidates.” IPPF’s incoming President Rana Abu Ghazaleh said: “I am confident that Dr Bermejo will be an outstanding Director General and I look forward to supporting him as he leads our Federation and Member Associations forward. I know that he has a passionate commitment to working with young volunteers, who are the lifeblood of IPPF’s Member Associations.” Dr Bermejo will take-up his position from March 1st for an initial four-year term.

Tewodros Melesse, Director General of IPPF, has welcomed the appointment of Dr Natalia Kanem as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) “Natalia Kanem has been an outstanding leader in the field of reproductive health and rights, public health and the rights and health of women and young people for more than a quarter of a century,” said Mr Melesse. “I welcome her appointment today as the new UNFPA Executive Director with great warmth, with hope and with a pledge of support from IPPF and more than 160 national member associations around the world.” Dr Kanem became the acting executive director of UNFPA after the unexpected and sudden death in June of Dr Babatunde Osotimehin. Mr Melesse said: “Dr Babatunde was my friend as well as my colleague, and I am sure that Dr Kanem will build on his legacy as she assumes her new role. IPPF and UNFPA have worked closely together for many years in the fight to ensure access to the best possible reproductive health care for women and youth everywhere. Our member associations partner with UNFPA on the ground to deliver health care, access to contraception and protection for many of the poorest and most marginalised in society. We are proud of our work together.” Mr Melesse added: “We stand with UNFPA in the fight to secure access to vital funding for our life-saving work. Along with UNFPA, IPPF and its members are committed to the rights of all people to make their own decisions about their lives. No-one should be denied the right to decide for themselves whether to have children, when to have them and how many to have. I pledge my support, IPPF’s support and the support of our member associations in the continued struggle alongside Dr Kanem and UNFPA to provide reproductive health care and rights for all, and reject all forms of coercion that would rob individuals of their right to decide.”  

Donate now to support our humanitarian response to Hurricanes Maria, Irma, Jose, and Katia and the earthquakes in Mexico.  Four hurricanes and two earthquakes have hit America and the Carribean in the last weeks. The situation is unprecedented and the International Planned Parenthood Federation has activated its humanitarian response network. We’re assessing damage, working on deploying personnel, and making sure our clinics are ready to help in any way possible. Donate now to support our emergency relief efforts. Your gift will be used where it is needed the most.  In the past 48 hours three hurricanes and an earthquake have hit the Western Hemisphere region. The situation is unprecedented and the International Planned Parenthood Federation has activated its Humanitarian Assistance Emergency Protocol. We’re assessing damage, working on deploying personnel, and making sure our clinics are ready to help in any way possible. Donate now to support our effort      image credits: US Department of Defense

Tewodros Melesse, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, has led tributes from IPPF for Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), who died today.  Mr Melesse said: “On behalf of all of IPPF, I would like to say how very sad we are to hear of the untimely death of Dr Babatunde. “His death is a terrible loss for UNFPA and for the entirely global community dedicated to human rights, and in particular the rights of women and girls. We have lost a giant in the fight for a better world for all.” Dr Babatunde led UNFPA from January 2011. Having previously held numerous senior posts in his home country of Nigeria, including Minister of Health, chair of the National Action Committee on AIDS and Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan. Mr Melesse said: “Even before he became UNFPA executive director, Dr Babatunde had shown how dedicated and committed he was to the struggle for improved sexual and reproductive health for all people. His commitment and determination to both help provide the health care needed by millions of people but also to campaign to improve their lives, by seeking to end harmful practices including female genital mutilation, child marriage and violence against women marked out Dr Babatunde as a great man. During his leadership, UNFPA and IPPF worked side by side to reach the poorest and those most in need with sustainable sexual and reproductive health care, as well as campaigning together to improve the lives of women, girls and those most likely to be stigmatized and marginalised by society. I can think of no better tribute to Dr Babatunde than we commit ourselves to continuing our work in his name. His loss is a tragic one. Dr Babatunde was a great friend to me, as well as a wonderful colleague, and I can only express a deep personal feeling of grief and pain at his death. Our thoughts and condolences go to his family at this terrible time.”     Subscribe to our updates!

The lives of millions of the world’s poorest women and girls are in jeopardy because of the expansion of the US Global Gag Rule (GGR), IPPF’s Director General has said. The expansion of the GGR (or Mexico City Policy) will deny critical health care to many of the poorest women on the planet, forcing millions of them into unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions and leading to thousands of deaths. Tewodros Melesse was speaking after the announcement of the policy expansion last night. It means that access to critical affordable, high quality integrated reproductive healthcare services like contraception, Zika information, maternal health, ante-natal care, reproductive cancers, and HIV prevention and treatment will be denied around the world. The policy will hit hardest the women living at the margins of society – the poorest, the most remote and those under 25. Leaving millions behind and forced into unintended pregnancy, ill health or death because the essential services they need have or are being shut down. Tewodros Melesse, Director General, said: “This expansion of the Global Gag Rule is unprecedented and the largest of its kind. Leaving behind the hardest to reach and often poorest of marginalised women and communities is the worst possible situation. This policy asks IPPF to stop providing support, counselling and services which are entirely legal in the countries where our members provide them and women depend on them. We cannot do that. The consequences are fatal and will span generations. We believe women should be able to decide what happens to their bodies, safely and legally. We cannot accept a demand which we know will only increase the number of women being forced into pregnancy or worse. “    IPPF estimates that the withdrawal in funding from the Federation will lead to an additional 20,000 maternal deaths, 4.8 million unintended pregnancies and 1.7 million unsafe abortions.     The expanded policy also obstructs the potential health partnerships on the ground in developing countries where IPPF Member Associations work closely with other medical organizations for referrals and support of clients. This means that the very valuable space between medical providers and patients will be compromised as referrals options become limited and as valuable services are closed. USAID has been a proud supporter of family planning and public health programming for decades. The enormous expense on USAID to administer this kind of order, for what could be a limited time, means the very money allocated to what they have done best – saving lives will be hugely diminished in impact and effectiveness. International Planned Parenthood Federation will lose 100 M USD in critical funding. On behalf of their members, the Federation issued a statement in January explaining why they can't sign the Global Gag Rule.   Subscribe to our updates!

Expanding contraceptive choices offers the potential to put power into women’s hands said the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) in reaction to the Sayana Press announcement by Pfizer BD, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and CIFF today. IPPF is already playing a major role in the introduction of Sayana Press to increase access to the world’s most poorest and underserved women and girls. Sayana Press is offered as part of the contraceptive mix by IPPF’s Member Associations in Uganda, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Senegal. They are doing this by providing Sayana Press at our extensive network of clinics, and by training community volunteers and government staff to give women Sayana Press in their own communities. Tewodros Melesse, Director General IPPF said; “This announcement is a great opportunity to enable women and girls who are often left behind because they are poor, unable to make decisions because of their partners, too far from a clinic or disabled to access contraception. Sayana Press has the potential to reach those who have never been able to access family planning before. We have seen that Sayana Press is popular with women in remote communities who can’t easily get to a clinic or drug shop. We are keen to see countries move towards community based distribution and ultimately, self-injections. All efforts must truly reach the last mile. Enabling women to administer in their own time and wherever they are is the only way to put power truly into women’s hands. It is a great step in helping to tackle the needs of the most poorest or neglected women and girls. But like any contraceptive, it must be offered as part of a broader mix of methods available and not favored more than others. Choice means every women and girl has the right to choose about their contraception wherever and whoever they are.”   IPPF launched its annual global I Decide Campaign on family planning today.   IPPF is fighting for a world where women everywhere can say "I decide". Support our call for universal access to contraception! Add your voice

IPPF Director General Tewodros Melesse has said that a decision by the US Government to withdraw funding from the United Nations Population Fund will have “devastating consequences” for women and girls around the world. Mr Melesse said: “The money the US administration now wants to withdraw would have been spent on health care for some of the poorest and most vulnerable women and girls in the world. “It will take away funding for contraception, maternal care and the safe delivery of babies, as well as  programmes to counter gender-based violence. “IPPF works closely with UNFPA in some of the most difficult situations in the world to provide this kind of care, especially in the poorest regions of the world’s poorest countries. The women and girls living in these situations are especially vulnerable, and this will have devastating consequences for them.” Mr Melesse added: “This is the second blow this year delivered to health care for women and girls around the world by the new US Administration. “The re-enactment of the Global Gag Rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) has already denied US funding for contraception services, HIV programmes and work to counter the Zika outbreak to IPPF and other health organisations. “We estimate that the $100m in funding IPPF expects to lose will stop us from preventing 20,000 maternal deaths, will lead to 4.8m unintended pregnancies and 1.7 million unsafe abortions. “We should be clear. None of the funding being withdrawn by the US administration is spent in the provision of abortion or in support of coercive reproductive policies. This is a smokescreen for cuts in funding, nothing more. “As a rights-based organisation, IPPF works in partnership with UNFPA and other health and human rights organisations to provide tens of millions of women and girls with the right to choose how and when they use contraception and to access other live-saving health services. “UNFPA brings governments together to work on commonly-agreed policies such as the Sustainable Development Goals, which are vital in the fight to try to ensure sexual and reproductive health care for everyone. “I am deeply sorry that for a second time in the space of three months the US Administration has decided to deny critical health services to the people who need them most. We know that tens of thousands of lives will be lost as a result.”

IPPF Director General Tewodros Melesse has defended the record of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in an interview with BBC World News, the BBC’s global television news channel. Speaking to presenter Philippa Thomas on the programme “Impact”, Mr Melesse rubbished claims from the Trump administration – used to justify the withdrawal of US funding – that UNFPA in any way supported coercive family policies in China. He explained that IPPF and UNFPA, with which IPPF partners across the world to provide vital reproductive health care for millions of women and girls – were committed to defending rights and increasing choice. He added that the loss of funding to UNFPA and IPPF – through the re-imposition of the so-called Global Gag Rule by President Trump – would cost the lives of tens of thousands of women and lead to millions of additional unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Subscribe to IPPF's updates!