Every Woman’s Right: How family planning saves children’s lives

Around the world, more than 200 million women who do not wish to become pregnant are currently unable to access or use contraception. Every Woman’s Right: How family planning saves children’s lives sets out why providing contraception is vital to sustaining and accelerating progress in reducing the deaths of babies, children and mothers. Ensuring women are able to allow a healthy space between births means babies and young children are more likely to survive. Delaying the first pregnancy until a girl is physically ready can save the lives of both adolescent girls and their newborn babies.
The story in numbers:
– 222 million: The number of women who have an unmet need for family planning;
– 570,000: The number of newborn babies’ lives that would be saved if the unmet need for family planning was fulfilled. 79,000 women’s lives would also be saved:
– 60%: The increased risk of death for babies born to teenage girls under 18, compared to babies born to mothers older than 19;
– For girls and young women aged 15–19, pregnancy and childbirth is the Number 1 Killer. It’s the cause of 50,000 deaths of teenage girls every year;
– Every £1 spent on family planning saves at least £4 that would be spent treating complications from unintended pregnancies.