The year 2025 was a year of courage and tangible transformation for UNFPA in the Indian Ocean. In a global context of shrinking financial resources, the organization redoubled its responsibility to ensure every dollar serves as a lever for measurable change. By optimizing resources, UNFPA intensified its actions across Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles to ensure that health interventions reach those who need them most.

 

Madagascar: Driving innovation for survival

 

The "Great Island" implemented breakthrough solutions to bridge the gap for isolated populations:

• Reproductive Health: the drone programme covered over 50,000 km via 424 flights, securing the supply chain for 37 remote health centers.
• Maternal Survival: Through the E-MOTIVE methodology, contracted midwives facilitated nearly 19,000 safe deliveries, directly saving 662 mothers from fatal outcomes.
• Family Planning: A historic milestone has been reached, with more than 3.6 million women regularly using modern contraceptive methods, bringing the contraceptive prevalence rate to 49.5%.
• Protection: 13,531 survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) received integrated medical, psychological, and legal care.

 

Comoros: Strengthening the pillars of dignity

 

In Comoros, the focus was on community proximity and long-term structural readiness:

• Reproductive health: Mobile clinics bridged the gap between remote communities and essential health services, performing 2,298 ultrasounds and providing free prenatal consultations to those who otherwise could not afford them.
• Youth Engagement: Over 40,000 adolescents and young people benefited from integrated sexual and reproductive health services to prevent early and unwanted pregnancies.
• Data for the development: 85% of the total budget for the 2027 General Population and Housing Census has already been mobilized through government and partner contributions.

 

Mauritius: Data and inclusion

 

• For Mauritius, the focus was on updating reproductive health data to guide development policies and programs:

• Evidence-Based Policy: Launch of the new national survey on contraceptive prevalence, along with studies on the specific needs of women aged over 35.
• Corporate Accountability: Through the ECHO toolkit, 40 private sector companies developed action plans to identify and address GBV risks in the workplace.
• Inclusion & Education: The "Kifer?" social media campaign challenged deep-seated stereotypes on gender identity, while 15 nurses and midwives in Seychelles were trained to deliver age-appropriate sex education.

 

Seychelles: Strengthened sexual and reproductive health and youth empowerment

 

• In 2025, UNFPA's action in the Seychelles focused on addressing gaps in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and eliminating gender-based violence (GBV). A major pillar was the empowerment of young people through the launch of the "Youth Education for Success" (YES) campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Health , engaging 115 parents across eight workshops on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). Concurrently, local capacity building progressed with the training of 15 nurses and midwives to deliver CSE in schools , as well as 17 journalists on the ethical reporting of GBV issues. These initiatives aim to ensure that adolescents have equitable access to integrated, rights-based health services

 

2026 Perspectives: A call for solidarity

 

• Investing in reproductive health and rights is not just an expense; it is the most sustainable investment for the future of humanity. In Madagascar, research indicates that investing $1 in family planning could yield $14 by 2050, helping the nation reach its demographic dividend.

• "Together, let us continue to shape a future where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled."