The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) received contributions from a record 142 countries in 2003, the largest number in its history, the agency said Monday.
The top six donors were the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden. The United States was not among the countries backing the Fund this year, because of the line of the Bush Administration.
UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said level of support had surpassed the agencys expectations. “This is strong evidence that countries, from every region of the world, have confidence in the Fund.” Regular resources for UNFPA in 2003 were approximately 294 million dollars.
The number of donors more than doubled since 1999 when the agency received funding from just 69 States. New donors in 2003 included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Hungary, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Somalia, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste and Uzbekistan.
– UNFPA works hard to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women in developing countries, to prevent HIV infections and to help couples plan their families and avoid unintended pregnancies, said Ms. Obaid. – We can now meet more of the demands for reproductive health care in the 150 countries where we work, added she.
According to the agency, about 350 million couples still lack access to a range of safe, effective and affordable contraceptive methods, while only half of all births in developing countries take place with a trained attendant.
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