Africa: Nearly half of all pregnancies, totaling 121 million each year throughout the world, are unintended. In Southern Africa, 65 percent of pregnancies between 2015 and 2019 were unintended, and 36 percent ended in abortion.
For the women and girls affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice – whether or not to become pregnant – is no choice at all.
It is in this context that the Department of Social Development, in partnership with the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency (UNFPA), will launch the State of World Population 2022 report on Thursday, 23 June 2022, in Durban, KZN Province, focusing on the unseen crisis of unintended pregnancies.
Titled: “Seeing the Unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy, the State of World Population 2022 report” highlights the 121 million unintended pregnancies every year as a global failure of basic human rights and a neglected crisis.
It reveals the scope and impact of unplanned pregnancy on women, girls, households, societies, countries, and global development.
The launch will take a South Africa-led multi-country format, which entails a dialogue with senior government officials, to be followed by youth engagement activities facilitated by young people from youth networks in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
This high-level event will be attended by SADC region dignitaries, SA Cabinet Ministers as well as representatives of the UNFPA.
