The World Population Day, celebrated every 11 July since 1989 in the world, aims to draw attention to the urgency and importance of population issues, in particular through development plans and programmes and on the need to find lasting solutions. This year's theme for World Population Day is "Vulnerable populations in emergency situations.” This theme aims to highlight the special needs of women and adolescent girls in conflict and humanitarian disasters
Three-quarters of the world's fifty million people displaced by natural disasters or conflict are women, children and youth. The precarious conditions in which the affected populations lived worsened the situation of women and girls. They face greater risks such as ill-treatment, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, etc. In addition, they most often become heads of families who need to care for the children, the elderly to the detriment of their needs. In this context, the lack of reproductive health services, including emergency neonatal obstetric care, family planning, health services and products to treat women and children who have experienced sexual violence increases maternal and neonatal mortality and sexually transmitted diseases. Moreover, the vulnerability of young people and adolescents during times of crisis and emergency is exacerbated by the lack of access to quality reproductive health services. There is a need to pay more attention to the needs of young people and adolescents through innovative approaches to help mitigate some of the impacts that threaten their lives.
"By prioritising health, rights and participation of women, adolescents and young people in public life, we are increasing our chances of a more just, stable and peaceful world, "said Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. United Nations and Executive Director of UNFPA on the occasion of World Population Day.
The 2015 theme is of particular importance since at the global level Madagascar is a country highly exposed to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and drought that promote food insecurity, especially in the south of the country. Humanitarian crises and their impacts affect a part of the Malagasy population at least six months a year.
In humanitarian crises, UNFPA plays a major role in the supply of reproductive health products, of Gender-based Violence. UNFPA focuses its interventions on the care of pregnant and newborn women, family planning, Gender-based Violence (GVA), including sexual violence and data collection. The organisation targets the most vulnerable populations, mainly women, adolescents and young people.
During the official celebration on 14 July, UNFPA will hand over medical equipment to the health centre at the Andranofeno Sud community site so that health workers can deliver quality births and antenatal consultations.
