London - Marie Stopes International (MSI) today announced that the Danish Government has decided to support MSI with a grant of €4.4million (DKK 33million). The grant will support MSI’s voluntary contraception and safe abortion services through September 2011.
“This grant clearly demonstrates the leadership Denmark is providing on the important issue of women’s health” said Dana Hovig, MSI Chief Executive. “We warmly welcome this new partnership with the Danish Government to increase women’s access to quality services in Africa and elsewhere.”
Hovig explained that over 500,000 maternal deaths still occur each year from largely preventable causes, almost entirely in the developing world. Despite renewed efforts to combat this high toll through action around Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 (Improve Maternal Health), little progress has been made on a global level and MDG 5 shows the least progress of all the MDG targets.
“The issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights is taboo in many places,” said Ms. Ulla Tørnæs, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation. “Our support will help Marie Stopes International overcome these taboos by providing millions of women and men with quality contraceptive information, products and services.”
Approximately 215 million women want an effective method of contraception but cannot access it. Today, an estimated 67,000 women, almost all of them in developing countries, die each year as a direct result of an estimated 20 million unsafe abortions. Many thousands more are left injured, disabled or infertile due to unsafe procedures. Nearly all of these deaths and injuries could be prevented through adequate access to sexual and reproductive health and safe abortion services.
Speaking from the European Parliament, Michael Cashman MEP said “Within the European Union there are many countries with different views on sexual and reproductive health. Denmark, however, is at the forefront of women’s rights as demonstrated by its funding of non-government organisations that focus on this area. It is time that Governments throughout the world follow the example set by Denmark.”