Africa-Press – Lesotho. Awed by the latest statistics on unwanted pregnancies worldwide as per their recently launched State of World Population Report, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
has on Friday stressed on a need for review of policies. UNFPA Assistant Representative Motšelisi Molorane said UNFPA is a UN agency that is responsible for advancing population and development issues, in particular
sexual and reproductive health issues. She added that UNFPA believes that development should be centered on population dynamics. She said in order to achieve its mandate every year, UNFPA develops the State of World Population
report with a theme around it and the aim of the report is to sensitize the policy makers, community leaders and different stakeholders at large. “Today
we are gathered here to deliberate on the State of World Population report and this year’s theme is; Seeing the unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy, and it
is calling for action for the neglected crisis of teenage pregnancy,” she said. Molorane further said the report states that teenage pregnancy is a developmental issue which has been neglected for a long time as it is not only
a personal issue, but also a health issue. Speaking at the launch, UNFPA Representative Dr Marc Derveeuw said one in two pregnancies take place in the bodies of
women who did not affirmatively choose pregnancy or motherhood, who were not open to the prospect of having a child at that time, with that partner and in
those circumstances. He further said in Lesotho, one in three women start child bearing in adolescence stage and nearly half of adolescent mothers are
children. “But this is not a report about abortion. This is not a report about motherhood but it is a report about whether and how much the world values women
and girls beyond their reproductive choices,” he said. Derveeuw said it is about what happens before a pregnancy, the information not received, the contraceptives
not used, and the conversation not had between partners. He said it is about hostility to, and misinformation about contraception use that undermines women’s ownership of
their own bodies and it is about the incalculable, intergenerational costs borne by women, girls, families, communities, countries and the world. He continued to say that more than 60% of unintended pregnancies end in
abortion and these are unintended and unwanted pregnancies. He noted that unplanned births can lead to school discontinuation and reduced labour force
participation and unplanned births have higher risk of postpartum depression. He added that unplanned pregnancies are linked to worse health outcomes for women and their children and unsafe abortion is a
leading contributor to maternal death and morbidity. The Minister of Development Planning Hon. Selibe Mochoboroane said the Government of Lesotho remains firmly committed to implementing the Programme of
Action for the Intenational Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). He said it will continue to develop meaningful policies, laws and programmes that will combat sexual harassment, increase comprehensive
healthcare, economic security by addressing the structural barriers to women that impedes their participation in the labour market. “This year`s launch comes at an opportune
time when Lesotho embarks on the development of National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) III journey. Thus, presents an opportunity for us to reflect on the
progress we have made in the past 30 years of ICPD as a country in improving and investing in the lives of women, girls and young people and also how Basotho can work together to achieve sustainable development,” he said.
The minister further expressed hope over this report, saying it will serve as a valuable resource in influencing decision making regarding development planning and implementation of Government programmes.
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