IPPF for universal access to sexual and reproductive health

New Delhi, June 9 (ANI): The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) held a conference here with an aim to ensure the issue of family planning is taken up at the upcoming G-20 Summit.

Experts said the universal access to sexual and reproductive health is imperative for social cohesion and development of the country.

The Director General of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Tewodros Melesse said that the people of the country should get access to the family planning services.

"We will be working with other civil society organisations, parliamentarians and our affiliates across the globe to ensure that universal access to sexual and reproductive health remains high in the agenda because we believe that there is not going to be a cohesive, social, equity based development without including universal access to sexual and reproductive health," he said.

Melesse further informed that the IPPF would focus extensively on providing family planning services to women and adolescents.

"We want to ensure that adolescents and women and specially those people who are underserved have got access to family planning services across every nation and in every village and in every family and for every individual," he said.

Hailing the efforts of the Indian government, Melesse highlighted that the government was committed to upgrade the family planning services and they would also involve the private sector.

"The Indian government is fully committed to ensure that family planning services are part of the government policy, adequate resources are going to be committed and that it will be working in partnership with the private sector and the civil society to reach the most vulnerable and unreachable population across the nation," he added.

Melesse also stressed upon comprehensive sex education and added that there was need to reach out to millions of women across the country.

"There should be education to the population that whether you have a girl or a boy, it should be accepted like a blessing, and for that it is not just the government, which can put that into practice, it is the religious leaders, community leaders. In the community there should be education," Melesse said. (ANI)

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