• Developing countries told the investment would lead to sustainable development

Nusa Dua (Bali), January 27

As thousands of researchers and stakeholders attending the fourth international conference on family planning in Bali, Indonesia, have intensified discussion on the future of the global family planning campaign, experts have highlighted that the family planning is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The world forum has provided ample opportunities to the developing countries like Nepal to learn and share the best practices while accelerating their sexual reproductive health and family planning campaigns, according to Jagdish Upadhyay, Head of Reproductive Health Commodity Security and Family Planning at the UNFPA.

The world’s population of young people is at a historic high, with 1.8 billion people entering their reproductive years. Adolescent girls are at a dramatically heightened risk for pregnancy - and childbirth-related health complications, which is a leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years in low- and middle-income countries.

“It is the opportunities, the needs and the choices of young people today that will define the world not only as we know it, but as we want it,” said Katja Iversen, CEO of Women Deliver at the official ICFP press conference.

“Our youth leaders have told us loud and clear: know our interests and work with us, co-design and co-create with us to drive successful programmes; invest in our empowerment education, health and employment; recognise that we are our nations’ precious human resources and investments in us will produce wealth and well-being for all nations; leverage our collective power for the collective transformation we can bring to the 2030 agenda,” said Dr Benoit Kalasa, Director of the Technical Division, UNFPA. “Our journey to 2030 starts and ends with prioritising adolescents and youth.” The conference which recorded a number of plenary sessions, presentations and exhibitions will end tomorrow after discussing global partnerships and actors, human rights and acceleration of progress towards 2020.