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Activities and instruments
Promoting health and family planning
Each year 76 million women in developing countries suffer an unwanted pregnancy – either because they have not had any sex education or do not have access to modern contraceptives. Many of them then decide to have an abortion. More than half a million women die each year of the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy or from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Of all the Millennium Development Goals the least progress has been made on MDG 5, reducing maternal mortality.
Germany has signed international agreements in which it has undertaken to help women to a self-determined sexual life. That means investing in health and education, family planning and educational work. Since the UN Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994 Germany has made a total of more than one billion euros available. Germany is cooperating with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the WHO in this field. In addition, Germany supports the International Planned Pregnancy Federation (IPPF) through contributions and funds-in-trust for special programmes.
HIV/AIDS
HIV and AIDS are continuing to spread in many countries. The share of women and girls infected with the HI virus has risen sharply in recent decades, and today stands at 50 per cent worldwide. Lack of gender equality and sexual self-determination mean women do not know enough about HIV transmission, and they are thus not in a position to engage in and demand safe sex.
Germany supports numerous projects that aim to combat and prevent HIV/AIDS - for example by contributing to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Germany also supports measures to establish health services and health insurance systems.
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