With support from the FY2022 Supplementary Budget received from the Government of Japan, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Member Associations in four countries, namely Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Ukraine will protect the health and lives of vulnerable populations affected by conflict and natural disasters through the community-based provision of sexual and reproductive health and essential health services, including maternal and child health, in the following areas:   Afghanistan: 9 provinces (Karpisa, Parvan, Badakhshan, Laghman, Logar, Bamiyan, Samangan, Baruch and Paktika)  Ethiopia: 3 provinces (Afar, Amhara, Somali).   Pakistan: 2 provinces (Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).  Ukraine: 2 cities (Odessa, Poltava).  In all countries the implementation of activities will be a participatory, inclusive and rights-based process that puts people at the centre, responding to their specific circumstances, challenges faced, needs and aspirations, while allowing the most vulnerable to have a voice. It also seeks to realise human security through the provision of relevant health services, especially for women, so that they can live with dignity and free from threats such as unwanted pregnancy, death of themselves and their newborns, and reproductive ill-health. By using and expanding local networks, knowledge, human resources and facilities developed through years of grassroots activities in each country, IPPF will expand the impact of our activities and cause lasting change in people's lives.  The IPPF Director General, Dr Alvaro Bemejo, said, "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Japan for this invaluable support they have given to the IPPF. We will fully utilise this opportunity to deliver our services to as many vulnerable people as possible and will do our utmost to be there for them and support them."   In the year to December 2023, IPPF, through our local partners, will aim to deliver health services and information to at least 270,000 people across the four countries.   For further information, please contact Yuri Taniguchi of IPPF London at [email protected].          

The Argentinian Senate voted narrowly against a bill that would have legalized abortion up to 14 weeks. The vote tally was 31 in favour, 38 against, 2 abstentions, and 1 absence.     Giselle Carino, IPPF Western Hemisphere Region’s Director (IPPF/WHR) and CEO, issued the following statement:   "Today, the Argentinian Senate failed women by voting to maintain a status quo that leads to anguish, forced pregnancy, and preventable death. This compassionless vote denies women’s lived experiences, evidence-based public health policies and international agreements. While the senate has demonstrated that they are out of touch, women will not retreat. Tens of thousands of women organized, mobilized, and took to the streets to support this bill, and their courage have inspired activists across Latin America to share their stories and take on the stigma that too often keeps abortion care out of public discourse. We stand firmly and in solidarity with all women until forced pregnancies become a thing of the past—until all women are treated as equals.”       While current law in Argentina technically permits a woman access to abortion services when her life is in danger, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape, the true issue is one of accessibility: Women with fewer economic and social resources have less access to care than upper-class women in urban centers.   Dr Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF’s Director General:  “Poor women bear the brunt of these restrictive laws and will continue to pay with their health and lives until abortion is decriminalized and becomes an integral part of sexual and reproductive health care. IPPF congratulates our partners, civil society and all the activists who fought so valiantly for women’s rights. We will continue working closely with our partners and allies in Argentina in the fight for sexual and reproductive rights for all. ”