UK to cut its aid to UN Family Planning Programme

The United Kingdom is to cut its fund to the United Nations Global Family Planning Programme. According to the UN Population Fund, the UK had pledged 154 million Euros. However, now UK is to provide only 23 million Euros.

About the Fund Cuts

In 2020, the UK Government announced that it will reduce its UK aid spending from 0.7% of its National income to 0.5% of its national income. These cuts amount to reduction in more than 4 billion Euros.

The UK fund to the family planning programme of the United Nations include maternal health care for millions of women in the poorest countries and provisions of contraceptives.

Consequences of UK Withdrawal

Around 217 million women want to avoid pregnancies. But they do not have access to modern contraceptives. The fund cut will have serious impacts on them.

The UK funds would have helped to protect 250,000 maternal deaths and child deaths. It would have avoided 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million unsafe abortions. Now these are going to increase.

UK Aid

In 2020, UK spent 14.5 billion Euros in providing international aid. Today, UK is the third biggest donor in the world.

UN Population Fund

It was established in 1967. It is not associated with the UN regular budget. According to UN Population Fund, India will become the most populous country in 2028.

Population in India

India’s population is 1.36 billion. The life expectancy in India is 72 years. This is lower than the world life expectancy of 69 years. The Maternal Mortality Rate in India is 174 per one lakh live births as of 2015. The fertility rate of India is 2.3 births per woman. This is less as compared to the fertility rate of the world which is 2.5.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2021