United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Objectives

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. UNFPA – because everyone counts.

UNFPA Support in the Context of ICPD and MDGs

UNFPA supported programs within ICPD goals are designed to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6; eradicate extreme hunger and poverty, promote gender equality and the empowerment of women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases. The Syrian government and our goal is to reduce maternal mortality rates (MMR) from 58 deaths per 100,000 live births to 32 and reduce infant morality rates from 18 deaths per 1,000 births to 12 by 2015.

UNFPA Support to Population and Development Programs in Syria

The Government of Syria and UNFPA have had a strategic partnership since the 1971 inception of UNFPA operations in the country. UNFPA supports national efforts in achieving development goals within MDGs context, and played a key role in supporting the integration of population, reproductive health and gender issues in the 10th National Development Plan for 2006-2010, and efforts are ongoing in support of the Plan’s implementation.

Programme Areas

• Reproductive Health: 

Supporting the provision of quality reproductive health services in the Northeastern governorates, including strengthening emergency obstetric care and family planning information. Integrating reproductive track infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and breast and cervical cancer screenings into RH information, counseling, and services.
• Population and Development:  Advocating for and strengthening the capacity of integration of population issues in development planning at the national and local levels. Building capacity, especially research capacity, of decision makers and planners at all levels..
• Gender: Combating gender based violence and promoting women’s empowerment through support of government and NGO efforts and evidence-based advocacy.
• Youth: Advocacy to promote young people’s concerns and well-being, including the creation of life skills education and encouraging capacity building. Supporting preparation for national strategy for young people, including empowerment.
• Humanitarian Assistance: Extending reproductive health services to Iraqi population hosted in Syria, including care for victims of gender based violence. Supporting capacity building of service providers. Provided mobile medical clinics, medical equipment for 59 health facilities, and reproductive health kits for over 300,000 refugees. Conducted assessment with SARC of health services provided to Iraqis.
• Data Management: Enhancing research, collection and use of accurate, up-to-date, disaggregated health data at the national and sub-national levels to strengthen policy development, planning, and programming and supporting capacity building in data analysis.
• Communication: Launching a new culturally communications strategy based on in-depth qualitative research of focus population. Establishing community mobilization in reproductive health in the three programme governorates to create demand aiming at increasing utilization of services.

UNFPA Syria Partners

UN Partners: UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNDP, UNHCR, UNRWA, UNESCO, WFP, WHO

Syrian Government: State Planning Commission, Ministry of Health, Syrian Commission for Family Affairs, Central Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Awqaf, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Local Administration & Environment, Higher Institute for Demographic Studies and Research, Parliament/Parliamentarian Population and Environment Committee

Other Partners: MAWRED, Revolutionary Youth Union, Students Union, Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Syrian Family Planning Association, Women’s General Union, Syrian Association for Medical Research, Syrian Association for Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association for Women’s Role Development, University of Damascus

United Nations Population Fund
Media & Communication Team Mezzeh, West Villas, Zaid Bin Khattab St. Damascus, Syria Telephone: +963 11 6113773/8. Ext. 233 Mobile: +963 944 593854 Fax: +963 11 6113783 E-mail: takee@unfpa.org