Children and Youth

Active in Guatemala since 1969 UNFPA works to strengthen national capacities to ensure access to sexual and reproductive rights and prevent maternal mortality and adolescent pregnancy. Programmes support the country to integrate family planning comprehensive sexuality education and the prevention of gender-based violence especially sexual violence at the highest levels in the Specific Cabinets of Women and Youth. UNFPA also supports national efforts to improve investments for indigenous adolescent girls to plan their future and achieve their full potential.

Brazil is the world’s fifth largest country with the eighth largest economy by nominal GDP and is the 85th country in the Human Development Index (2013). Despite being a middle-income country it continues to face inequalities in income distribution and disparities associated with gender race and generational and regional disparities. Since 1973 UNFPA support has contributed sexual reproductive health and family planning resources and services throughout the country. Through this effort and Governmental support the poverty rate has decreased significantly over the last 15 years.

Turkmenistan is an upper middle-income country that has experienced steady economic growth. UNFPA assistance began in 1992 with the supply of reproductive health commodities and training. Programmes today continue to strengthen reproductive health care and promote outreach to young people. UNFPA also helps to integrate reproductive health in national emergency preparedness and population issues in development planning. Legal reviews and strengthened human rights protections among other measures aim to advance gender equality.

Timor-Leste is moving from recovery to development following a violent transition to independence that left its infrastructure in shambles and its people in poverty. UNFPA has been providing support to the country since 1999 including partnering on a joint programme to promote gender equality and women’s rights. Though recent economic and social progress has been substantial the country still faces high rates of poverty and maternal mortality and struggles to keep pace with one of the fastest growing populations in the world.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has emerged from post-conflict to a period of more stability and aims to eventually join the European Union. Challenges include: high unemployment weak social protection poor data an ageing population low fertility rates and marked gender inequalities. Key priorities for UNFPA support which began in 1995 include the development of Reproductive Health Policy prevention of cervical cancer equal access to reproductive health services for youth the strengthening of the social and demographic data collection and prevention and management of gender-based violence.

Home to one of the world’s youngest fastest-growing populations Afghanistan faces challenges exacerbated by conflict weak governance and cultural barriers especially women and children living in poverty. UNFPA programmes invest in reproductive health and rights gender equality and socioeconomic development; humanitarian assistance and youth issues are priorities in all three areas. Assistance is channelled to replicable programmes in provinces with high rates of poverty and maternal and infant mortality and where communities are actively engaged in their development.

During the last five years the Dominican Republic has achieved macroeconomic stability despite the global financial crisis. However challenges persist in reducing poverty and increasing the coverage of basic services. The maternal mortality ratio in the Dominican Republic is almost double the regional average. UNFPA’s programme concentrates on strategic and urgent issues such as universal access to sexual and reproductive health services the promotion of sex education and the use of demographic data in policymaking and in efforts to combat gender-based violence and reduce maternal mortality.

Since UNFPA began providing assistance in China in 1979 it has contributed substantially to strengthened capacity to conduct demographic analyses and to use data for policy planning shifting its attention later on to a comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health including quality of care and advocacy for informed choice. Over time it also started incorporating a new set of emerging national priorities related to the issues of youth urbanization ageing gender-based violence and the distorted sex ratio at birth.

In 2020 the ability of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to establish sustainable resilient systems to accelerate its ambitious transformative results was tested as was these systems’ capacity to withstand a global crisis. Despite challenges most of which were aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic UNFPA was able to deliver on the commitments of the Strategic Plan 2018-2021. Through coordinated action and collaboration with partner agencies governments and implementing partners UNFPA was able to deliver planned results providing life-saving care and supplies and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable.

Active in Nicaragua since 1974 UNFPA supports the inclusion of issues related to population dynamics young people sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence into public policies. Nicaragua has successfully incorporated reproductive rights in its health and education laws and policies and made headway in reducing maternal mortality. But key challenges remain including a high adolescent pregnancy rate. UNFPA strengthens capacities to provide high quality maternal health and newborn care comprehensive sexuality education for young people and investments in the country’s “demographic dividend”. It also backs measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.