NAIROBI, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD 25) which opens in Nairobi on Tuesday will raise the bar in maternal health through access to contraceptives, officials said on Monday.
Macharia Kamau, principal secretary in Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs said the three-day global population summit, will renew commitment to reduce maternal deaths, eliminate gender-based violence and other harmful practices like girl child marriages and female genital mutilation.
Kenya will be hosting the three-day global population summit that will review the progress of implementation of a sweeping plan of action that was adopted in Cairo in 1994 to advance reproductive health rights of women and girls.
Macharia said that world leaders, policymakers, lawmakers and representatives of multilateral lenders are expected to announce new financial commitment to promote universal access to contraceptives among women of child-bearing age.
The official said the summit will also include discussions around gender equality, youth leadership, innovations and partnerships required to revitalize the global family planning agenda.
Kenya has partnered with the government of Denmark and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to host the ICPD 25 summit.
Among key themes that will be discussed at the summit include, sexual and reproductive health as part of universal health coverage, demographic diversity, measures to end gender-based violence as well as access to reproductive health rights in fragile situations.
Arthur Erken, director of communications and strategic partnerships at UNFPA said that policy reforms and funding is required to ensure that access to contraceptives is embedded in the global maternal health agenda.
"We must step up our efforts to make modern contraceptives available to all who want and need it, improve maternal health care and protect women and girls from gender-based violence and harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation," said Erken.
