MEDIA RELEASE

London Summit on Family Planning – 11 July 2012

The lives of millions of women in some of the world’s poorest countries will be transformed, after countries and donors attending the London Family Planning Summit pledged US2.6 billion dollars to the cause.

The U.K. Government along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the United Nations Family Planning Association (UNFPA) hosted the ground-breaking summit aimed at providing an additional 120 million women with life-saving contraceptives, sexual health information and services by 2020.

The Summit called for unprecedented international political commitment and resources to support millions of women and girls, to save lives and to help families, communities and nations out of poverty.

Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia (SH&FPA) applauds the countries and donors who have pledged the money as well as the 20 developing countries who have committed to increasing their domestic spending on family planning and women’s rights.

“We welcome AusAID’s additional funding for family planning and will monitor developments to determine specifically the priorities and directions it will take,” said SH&FPA’s CEO Dr Joanne Ramadge

“In particular, we call for funds to be allocated to a new focus on sexual health and family planning for Australia’s overseas aid program along with an on-going commitment to new money into the Asia/Pacific region,” Dr Ramadge said.

Date: 12 July 2012

Contact Person: Dr Joanne Ramadge, CEO SH&FPA, 02 6260 4366 or 0402 894 300

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