Mexico City Policy will have a devastating impact for International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) with its extension far beyond family planning.  Restrictions into support for HIV, maternal health and infectious diseases programmes will mean that millions will be denied lifesaving healthcare they need. The policy will hit hardest, the women living at the margins of society – the poorest, the most remote and those under 25.    The Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, denies US funding to organizations who provide any abortion related services, including counselling, even when such services are legal in a national context.   IPPF has a special focus on working with the world’s most poor and vulnerable and tailoring services to meet their needs. At country levels, the US funding loss will reduce or halt IPPF’s services and arrest opportunities to scale up, build capacity and reach more people.   Tewodros Melesse, IPPF Director General, said in reaction, “For over 30 years, the Mexico City Policy has played politics with women’s lives. It is a cynical attempt to silence the choice and voice of the world’s poorest women.  As a champion for them and people everywhere, we will not be held back.   "This extended policy covers every aspect of IPPF’s work with the world's poorest people. It also fails in its stated intent to reduce the global incidence of abortion. With the expansion of its restrictions to work on broader health efforts it is short-sighted and dangerous, and threatens years of IPPF gains to advance the health and well-being of communities and undercuts health care access for millions worldwide.”   The extended policy will now affect IPPF’s long record of working on HIV prevention in more than 20 countries covering Africa and Latin America often providing clients integrated sexual and reproductive health care services. The Global Gag rule could also endanger emergency funding for Zika prevention, education and health services in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the epidemic continues to rage.   Examples of Country Impact: Barbados: IPPF partner Barbados Family Planning Association receives funding from the U.S. government to provide HIV prevention and education services to at-risk, hard-to-reach populations including men who have sex with men. The Caribbean has the second-highest HIV prevalence rate among adults after Sub-Saharan Africa.   Nepal: IPPF aims to increase voluntary use of family planning services by increasing accessibility and availability of quality comprehensive family planning services to the hard to reach, disadvantaged, poor and adolescent populations in 11 districts and increase access to voluntary family planning information, education, and services. Nepal has failing and patchy family planning coverage which is often only available at certain times of the year. IPPF are working closely with the government to expand and strengthen static clinics in selected district hospitals, health posts and health facilities with birthing centers to reach all year round, reaching eligible couples with high unmet need. Malawi: The Family Planning Association of Malawi are providing much needed integrated family planning and HIV prevention to young adolescent and women in Malawi via clinics and outreach teams travelling to communities to raise awareness and offer services for vulnerable young women to prevent and treat sexual  gender based violence, HIV infection and access to family planning. Without funding they will no longer be able to provide or expand this vital information, support community learning and offer both family planning services and treatment for sexual and gender based violence in one place.   The rule blocks critical funding for health services like contraception, maternal health, and HIV prevention and treatment for any organization that refuses to sign up to it.    For IPPF, it means foregoing US$100,000,000 that would be directed to proven programmes that provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for millions of women and girls who would otherwise go without vital services that save lives.   IPPF is the world’s largest women’s health network with members in 170 countries with over 45,000 service delivery points delivering over 300 services a minute. Individuals can donate to IPPF’s online appeal www.ippf.org/donate     WANT TO GET INVOLVED? SUBSCRIBE NOW TO GET UPDATES FROM IPPF SUPPORT OUR WORK WITH A DONATION JOIN OUR THUNDERCLAP     View my Flipboard Magazine.

14 December 2016, Tokyo - IPPF attended the World Assembly of Women (WAW!) 2016, which was held in Tokyo on 13-14 December, and made a case that Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is fundamental for women’s empowerment, and universal health coverage cannot be achieved without universal reproductive health coverage.  At the WAW conference, Japan’s Prime Minister Mr Shinzo Abe said women’s voices are not prioritised in crisis. The international community was not allowed to leave the issue of sexual violence under crisis, he added. Mr Abe stressed that under crisis situations, the international response will be improved remarkably if women’s perspectives are fully incorporated into it. At the same time it is matter of life and death to improve maternal and child health. The international community needs to take action on these issues and give hope to people affected, to build a future together.  Tewodros Melesse, Director General of IPPF, said: ‘Poor is the women whose happiness depends on the approval of others.  From birth, every women has rights to shine. A comprehensive approach, where empowered women make their own decisions, is the key to ensuring no woman is left behind’  Tewodros Melesse also had a meeting with H.E. Mr Odawara, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr Odawara said that the Japanese Government highly appreciated IPPF’s activities to respond to women’s needs by closely working with Japan. Mr Melesse raised the issue of global uncertainty, which could give a serious impact on IPPF’s activities to protect women’s health, rights and lives, and requested Japan’s further assistance and continuing strong leadership in the SRHR area.     

Mankayane, Swaziland - On 1 December, IPPF Director General, Tewodros Melesse, made an address on the occasion of World AIDS Day in the Kingdom of Swaziland along with His Excellency the Right Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Paul Dlamini, Honourable Minister of Health Ms Sibongile Ndlela Simelane, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr Israel Dessalegne, and the United States of America Ambassador to Swaziland, Ms Lisa Peterson. "It is an honour and a privilege to be commemorating World AIDS Day with you, the Swazi people. Every year, World AIDS Day provides us with the opportunity to take stock of how far we have come since the early days of the epidemic. I’d like to begin by taking us 30 years back in time, which was 1986. That year, IBM unveiled the first laptop. Mobile phones were the size and weight of large bricks. In apartheid-era of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was behind bars; and here in Swaziland, the country recorded its first case of HIV/AIDS. Many of you here today will agree with me when I say that, while Swaziland has not been immune to the many ways in which the world has changed over the past thirty years, it is the HIV epidemic more than anything else that has shaped this country during that time. For those of you who have lived through the epidemic, you will remember all too well the fear and the stigma that ran through this country and many African countries. You will remember how little we knew about HIV, and about how to prevent it. People living with HIV at this time deserve to be honoured. You showed us the strength and determination to fight for change. You were brave and angry, and gave hope to others. As I stand in front of you, I am keenly aware that there is not a single person here whose life, one way or another, has not been affected by HIV, and that all young people here today have never seen a world without HIV. The young people are the future but we have to remind ourselves that there is no future if we don’t invest in prevention. Many of you have loved ones who were taken from this world before their time. You grieved and continue to grieve the loss of brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren, friends, colleagues, and many others. These vibrant souls, remain with us always, in our hearts and in our minds, and give us energy to continue in the future. We can now take some comfort from the fact that the picture has changed dramatically in these past thirty years. Most significantly, people living with HIV are now living longer, healthier, and productive lives well into their old age, thanks to the availability of antiretroviral treatment that has transformed HIV infection into a chronic, manageable condition. I would like to take this moment to commend the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland for its commitment to providing antiretrovirals free to all who need treatment. The impact of this cannot be underestimated. AIDS-related mortality has reduced by drastically and accordingly, life expectancy has now rebounded. The transmission of HIV from mother to child is close to being eliminated along with syphilis. And overall, Swaziland has also begun to see a downward trend of new HIV infections, especially among young people. ‘Now is not the time to be complacent’ These are remarkable successes, and Swaziland has established a strong foundation. Critically, this is a foundation upon which to build - not to rest. We cannot risk becoming complacent, as HIV remains the greatest public health and socio-economic challenge facing this country. Importantly, our response must be integrated with other key challenges. We know that there is a high unmet need for family planning, leading to high levels of unwanted pregnancy; we know that maternal and infant mortality is unacceptably high; and we know that the overall knowledge of sexual and reproductive health is exceptionally low among young people. ‘There is a serious prevention gap’ This situation is not unique to Swaziland. UNAIDS is raising the alarm about the global picture and what it calls the ‘prevention gap’. Efforts to meet the global target of ending AIDS by 2030 are off track and progress is at risk of stalling. The global community warns that if there is a resurgence of HIV, the epidemic will be impossible to control. This cannot be allowed to happen. Primary prevention has been and will continue to be an essential component of the HIV response. To attain an AIDS-free generation, we need new solutions, new innovations and, importantly, we need to reinvigorate our prevention efforts. Prevention saves lives, saves budget, and increases productivity. ‘Hands Up for HIV Prevention’ Today, people across the global are raising their hands to HIV prevention this World AIDS Day. There is no ‘one size that fits all’ and we must pay special attention to those that continue to be left behind. Young women and girls are at a particularly high risk of HIV infection. They need information and the freedom to make free and informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health; they need access to effective HIV and sexual and reproductive health services; they need services that are youth-friendly; and they need gender-based violence to be eliminated and gender inequalities to be eradicated. We are also leaving key populations behind – including sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgender people, and men who have sex with men. Many countries in the world push these populations to the margins of society. It is essential that our prevention efforts bring these populations forward. To end HIV, no one can be left behind. I must commend the efforts to ensure the meaningful engagement of these populations; and by taking steps to remove barriers to access services. At the root of all of our prevention efforts is a recognition that the HIV epidemic is being fuelled by inequalities and prejudices entrenched within the legal, social and economic structures of society. Poverty, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination – are well known barriers to ending HIV. To ensure that everyone can live a life of hope, with dignity, respect and meaning – people must be free to make choices about their sexuality and well-being, in a world without discrimination. ‘We need to work together to give hope’ I truly believe that we will not see an end to HIV unless we work together, be it at the local level, the regional level or at the global level. The remarkable successes that we have witnessed have been the result, not of a single actor, but of a chorus of voices that have called out in unison for better access; and that demanded respect, care and compassion. Civil society in particular has an incredible track record of mobilizing the required response. It has been instrumental in changing public attitudes and perceptions, and has also be mobilised to address barriers that prevent people from realising their right to health. In conclusion, the power to end HIV and AIDS does not lie with a single individual, with a single organisation, or government structure. When we leverage the unique skills that we all bring to the table, we will reach our goal of ending AIDS both in Swaziland and the world. This power is ours and the time to act is now. If we work together as Obama says, ‘Yes, we can!’, then we can do it. I leave you with a story. Like FLAS, I visited the IPPF association in Iran who are working with underserved communities, such as sex workers, and integrating in society. I asked one young woman, ‘if you were God for fifteen minutes, what would you do?’ She said, ‘I would give hope, if you have hope, you can overcome your challenges’. We need to keep that hope and give that hope to the people. We can give that hope by doing it together."

Dear friends, colleagues and partners, As September 19th, the date for United Nations Summit on Refugees and Migrants, approaches we can’t help but to continue to be overwhelmed by the rising number of refugees across the globe and their growing needs. It has become clear that the global community will have to take strong, committed and focused actions in order to ensure that the needs of those vulnerable populations are met. Children, the elderly and women are the ones most at risk in these perilous situations. We need to ensure that their specific needs do not go unnoticed. During this year’s World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, UN Member States, civil society and other stakeholders made commitments to increase their support in emergency situations. The Summit on Refugees and Migrants presents another unique opportunity for Member States to show resilient support. In the final draft of the Summit’s outcome document great strides were made in ensuring women’s rights and needs were addressed. Through strong advocacy efforts from IPPF UN Liaison Office, United Nations agencies and strong Member State commitment we were able to secure language that is a great step forward in access to sexual and reproductive health services. Specifically, thanks to our work, the declaration promises to: “…ensure that our responses to large movements of refugees and migrants mainstream a gender perspective, promote gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and fully respect and protect the human rights of women and girls. We will combat sexual and gender-based violence to the greatest extent possible. We will provide access to sexual and reproductive health-care services...” The necessity for sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian situations is critical. We, therefore, ask you to include in your national statements during the Summit on Refugees and Migrants Summit, the unequivocal requirement for the sexual and reproductive rights of refugee and migrant women to be fulfilled and that sexual and reproductive health services be systematically included in the refugee crisis response. I thank you in advance for the attention given to this very important matter and hope to count on you to support this key action. Together, we can make a difference in women’s lives, and bring to those that have lost everything a little bit of hope for the future.   Yours Sincerely, Tewodros Melesse  

Matthew Lindley, IPPF Humanitarian Transition Lead, comments on the Grand Bargain commitments from the World Humanitarian Summit. “There is no denying that sexual and gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, early and forced marriage, trafficking, sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), maternal morbidity and death increase in humanitarian situations. Any humanitarian effort needs to take a long view as the average time that people may be displaced or in camp can be a staggering 20 years. That is enough time for a woman to get pregnant, have a child and for a child to reach adolescence. The current humanitarian system has failed women and girls time after time, year after year. As traditional humanitarian funding and organizations largely concentrate on food, shelter, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), livelihoods, nutrition and public health but not on sexual and reproductive health and rights as a lifesaving concern. The Grand Bargain is a welcomed move towards a vision where a comprehensive and collaborative approach is taken to save lives and with greater investment. Yet while there have been many discussions at the Summit around how women and girls and young people are particularly at risk and quite simply not able to access basic services, we have not seen this translated within the document. There is still no clear commitment to this area for core funding at all. We need to see more commitment to this area with core humanitarian funding for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services as a matter of priority if humanitarian efforts are truly going to ensure that no one is left behind. “

Istanbul, Turkey- Tewodros Melesse, Director General of International Planned Parenthood Federation, Babatunde Osotimehin Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organisation and senior leaders from the Governments of Australia, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Jordan called for urgent action to include sexual and reproductive health in the immediate lifesaving interventions in crisis at the World Humanitarian Summit today. “Too often, sexual and reproductive health and rights in emergencies are overlooked and critically underfunded. It is a life saving intervention that protects dignity and keeps people protected when their world has been turned upside down. We need to ensure that there is a coordinated response on the ground which has the same status as other humanitarian response like food, shelter, water and sanitation. This is a minimum set of standards for a sexual and reproductive health frontline actions. We urge governments to factor to recognise and implement reproductive health into their own humanitarian response delivery.” said Tewodros Melesse, IPPF Director General. Reproductive health issues are the leading cause of women’s ill health and death worldwide and these problems are compounded during a crisis. Around 60 percent of preventable maternal deaths take place in crises and fragile settings. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises exposed to early marriage, trafficking, rape, forced pregnancies, unattended service delivery during complicated pregnancies and delivery. 125 million people are affected by crises. One quarter of those people are women of reproductive age – that’s 31 million and women are 14 times more likely to die than men in a crisis. IPPF is calling for donor governments to ensure that services are more equitably distributed between conflict zones and natural disasters. In particular in conflict areas, lack of funding leads to worse sexual and reproductive health outcomes for women and girls. Rajat Khosla, Human Rights Advisor Reproductive Health, World Health Organization spoke of the urgent need to prioritize sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian settings, he said “We are now looking at people who are affected for 17 to 20 years by a crisis. We can no longer operate a business as usual approach. We need to change to a comprehensive health response that includes sexual and reproductive health and rights that leaves no one behind”. IPPF's new report “The Forgotten Priority: Sexual and reproductive health in crises” launched at the World Humanitarian Summit.