State of World Population 2018 Report presented in Ashgabat

The power to choose the number, timing and spacing of children can bolster economic and social development, new UNFPA report shows

Ashgabat, 22 November 2018 – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund’s flagship Report, The State of World Population (SWOP) 2018, entitled “The Power of Choice: Reproductive Rights and the Demographic Transition” was presented yesterday in Ashgabat. The Award Ceremony of the Media Competition 2018 for the best published materials in reproductive rights followed the Report Launch.

The Report was presented at the ceremony, which was attended by the Turkmen national partners, representatives of the UN agencies and international organizations, the diplomatic corps, university professors and students, as well as the civil society and national and international mass media. The report was also launched globally in more than 100 countries.

Family size is closely linked with reproductive rights, which, in turn, are tied to many other rights, including the right to adequate health, education, and jobs. Where people can exercise their rights, they tend to thrive. Where these rights are stifled, people often fail to achieve their full potential, impeding economic and social progress, according to the new report.

“Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, reproductive health and rights have substantially improved around the world. People have more information about their reproductive rights and choices, and a greater capacity to claim their rights,” said Elena Panova, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNFPA Representative in Turkmenistan. “According to the Report, no country can claim that all of its citizens enjoy reproductive rights at all times. The unmet need for modern contraception prevents hundreds of millions of women from choosing smaller families. Ensuring the reproductive rights for all is critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.

The key findings and recommendations of the Global Report were presented by Mr. Kemal Goshliyev, UNFPA National Programme Officer on Reproductive Health. The report makes specific recommendations for policies and programmes that would help each country increase reproductive choices. Report states that the ways forward will vary by country, but some are common to all countries, starting with health systems that operate in line with reproductive rights, and provide high-quality, universally accessible reproductive health services. Most could do more by asking a basic question that should be central to public policymaking: Are people—men and women, in all locations, in all income categories, at all ages, and in all other groups—having the number of children they want? If the answer is no, reproductive rights are compromised, and commitments to universality remain unfulfilled.

Ms. Bayramgul Garabayeva, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Turkmenistan, continued the dialogue by presenting the relevance of the Report to Turkmenistan. In her interactive presentation, Ms. Garabayeva made a focus on importance of increasing access of women, especially most vulnerable groups, to the reproductive health information, services and commodities. The partnership between UNFPA and Ministry of Health and Medical Industry was described in establishing and strengthening the reproductive health system in Turkmenistan.

“UNFPA is proud of the achievements of the Government of Turkmenistan in realizing the reproductive rights of women and couples in the country,” said Ms. Garabayeva. “Although we are very close to reaching the goal of providing universal access to women and couples to reproductive health, much remains to be addressed. We hope that the Coordination Committee established last year will be an effective mechanism in meeting the needs of women. It is also crucial that evidence-based analysis and timely forecasting is conducted by the Committee to ensure uninterrupted supply of at least four methods of contraceptives in the country.”

Ms. Akjemal Durdyeva, Director of the National Reproductive Health Center of Turkmenistan further presented the results of the recent campaign Month of Women’s Health, organized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry with UNFPA support. During the women’s health month, more than 140,000 women received a reproductive health consultation and cervical cancer screening, 17 times more than the average monthly figure. More than 2,500 tested positive and referred to the oncology center and 26 were diagnosed with cervical cancer and started treatment.

The Report Launch concluded with the Award Ceremony of the UNFPA Media Competition 2018. Here, UNFPA recognized the winners of the Media Competition under the theme “Ensuring reproductive rights for all”, which was announced in the beginning of the year.

Journalists of the national media submitted more than 40 materials covering the issues of women’s and adolescent reproductive health and existing reproductive health services in the country. Distinguished media materials published in the national and local media were awarded the first prizes during the SWOP Report Launch in Ashgabat for quality and in-depth coverage.

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For the full SWOP 2018 Report and other resources, please visit: https://www.unfpa.org/swop-2018

In the news:

Read in the Turkmen State News Agency:

http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/_tmt/?id=11948

http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=17603

And other news outlets:

http://www.parahat.info/news/parahat-info-news-17603

http://orient.tm/ru/2018/11/21/19782.html

Read the human interest story on Month of Women’s Health: https://turkmenistan.unfpa.org/en/news/month-womens-health-turkmenistan-changes-attitudes

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UNFPA: Delivering the world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.