The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has urged world leaders to do more to cater for the reproductive health needs of women and girls during times of disasters and conflicts, a move that would help save lives and enable more women in crises access health services.

The call was made by UNFPA Rwanda officials yesterday at the launch of the "State of the World Population 2015” report in Kigali. The report calls for special attention to the needs of women and girls in crises, and urges world leaders to intervene and help women displaced by conflicts and natural disasters access reproductive health services.

Titled, "The State of World Population 2015: Shelter from the Storm”, the report shows that, of the 100 million people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world today, about 26 million are women and adolescent girls in their childbearing years.

"Without access to health services, they are at higher risk of getting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, maternal death and illness, as well as sexual and gender-based violence,” it indicates.

The report shows that three fifths of maternal deaths today occur in countries that are considered fragile because of conflict or disaster and pregnancy, while 507 women die during childbirth every day in these settings.

Jozef Maerien, the UNFPA Rwanda representative, said "health and rights of women and adolescents should not be treated like an afterthought in humanitarian response”.

"For the pregnant woman who is about to deliver, or the adolescent girl who survived sexual violence, life-saving services are as vital as water, food and shelter,” he added.

Without protection of family and community, women and adolescents are made more vulnerable to sexual violence, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, like HIV,” the UNFPA report noted, adding that the current humanitarian response is unable to help all those who need health services during conflicts and disasters.

According to the report, the United Nations required $19.5 billion to respond to humanitarian situations around the world in 2014, but faced a record $7.5 billion shortfall, "which put the health and lives of millions of people at risk”.

This year, the UNFPA has received less than half the funding it required to meet the essential sexual and reproductive health needs of women and adolescents.

UNFPA has accordingly called for a new approach in responding to crises. In a press release issued yesterday, the organisation noted that there is need for new emphasis on prevention, preparedness and building resilience of nations, communities, institutions and individuals to protect women and girls’ rights, .

"The business-as-usual approach to humanitarian assistance will leave too many behind at a time when needs are so great,” said UNFPA executive director, Dr. Osotimehin Babatunde.

In Rwanda, where the country received over 70,000 refugees from Burundi in the last few months, the Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana, pledged government’s support to cater for women and girls’ health needs.

"The Government of Rwanda’s policies are inclusive, and gender is a cross-cutting issue. We shall continue to ensure that our humanitarian response is gender sensitive, and that the special needs of women and girls are met,” she said at the launch of the UNFPA report.

With UNFPA help to Burundian refugees in Rwanda, 1,107 pregnant women tested for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, 660 deliveries were facilitated, 501 women were provided with family planning services, 1,056 others received antenatal care services, while 51 mothers gave birth by caesarean-section.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw