Since UNFPA started working in Asia and the Pacific region, the number – and rate – of women dying from pregnancy or childbirth has nearly halved. Yet maternal deaths in many parts of the Asia- Pacific region remain unacceptably high. One of the most challenging aspects of reducing maternal death and disability is finding ways to reach all women, even those in the poorest, most remote areas, or in times of natural or man-made disasters. This involves strengthening health systems. 

We know how to safeguard the health of pregnant women and new mothers. The first step is to ensure that women can plan their pregnancies and space their births. UNFPA also partners with governments and others to strengthen health systems, train health workers, educate midwives and improve access to the full range of reproductive health. 

The Asia and Pacific region has among the poorest development indicators for women and girls. Persistent discrimination and gender-based violence remain widespread, and harmful practices - such as child marriage and prenatal sex selection - reinforce gender inequality across the region.

UNFPA works to prevent and respond to gender-based violence through its work with policymakers, justice systems, health systems and humanitarian partners. UNFPA also focuses on eliminating harmful practices, including child marriage, and helps to engage men and boys to advance gender equality.

Much more needs to be done to ensure that all individuals can exercise their basic human rights. This includes persons with disabilities, older persons and young people. 

The Asia and Pacific region is home to more than half of the world’s young people aged 10 to 24. Their reproductive choices will shape future demographic trends and UNFPA advocates for the rights of young people, including the right to accurate information and services related to sexuality and reproductive health. 

The Asia-Pacific region is also at the forefront of the global phenomenon of population ageing. By 2050, one in four people in Asia and the Pacific will be over 60 years old. UNFPA advocates for a life-cycle approach by investing in health and well-being from pregnancy through childbirth, childhood and adolescence, and on to adulthood and eventually old age, cultivating community involvement in the process and emphasizing the rights of individuals of all ages. 

During conflicts, natural disasters and public health emergencies, sexual and reproductive health needs are often overlooked – with staggering consequences. Pregnant women risk life-threatening complications without access to delivery and emergency obstetric care services. Women and girls may lose access to family planning services, exposing them to unintended pregnancy in perilous conditions. 

Asia and the Pacific is the world’s most disaster-prone region. UNFPA is on the ground before, during and after crises, working closely with governments, local NGOs, UN agencies and other partners to ensure that sexual reproductive health and rights and responses to gender-based violence are integrated into emergency responses. Every day, UNFPA ships hundreds of hygiene supplies and reproductive health kits to crisis settings, providing core life-saving services. UNFPA also deploys trained personnel and provides other crucial support to affected populations, working to ensure the needs of women and girls are served through preparedness, emergency and reconstruction phases.