ADDIS ABABA, 16 March 2023 — UNFPA Ethiopia today launched the year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the start of its operations in Ethiopia.
Established in 1973, UNFPA, the United Nations (UN) sexual and reproductive health agency, is one of the oldest and largest UNFPA offices in Africa.
Ms. Lydia Zigomo, Regional Director of UNFPA East and Southern Africa, said, “As we commemorate our 50th year in Ethiopia, UNFPA, together with the government and our partners, is creating an enabling environment to achieve our transformative results. These life-changing results will end unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal deaths, and gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.”
The commemoration of UNFPA Ethiopia@50 started with a high-level event with senior government officials, dignitaries from development partners, and representatives of major implementing partners and stakeholders.
A dialogue forum anchored the event, which looked back at the half a century of operations of UNFPA in Ethiopia as the lead UN agency on sexual and reproductive health and rights, population, and gender equality and women empowerment.
“UNFPA will redouble efforts in attaining the 'three zeroes plus one' - ending unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal death; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls; and ending sexual transmission of HIV,” Ms. Zigomo added.
The UNFPA Regional Director held a series of discussions with senior officials of the Ethiopian Government and donors to strengthen collaborative efforts in Ethiopia.
To celebrate this historical event in the coming months, UNFPA will be working with various partners on advocacy and community engagement activities. UNFPA will engage key stakeholders, including governments, young people, parliamentarians, the media, civil society, the private sector and others in commemorating this important milestone.
About UNFPA
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA remains committed to work with partners to ensure the rights and choices of millions of women and young people in 155 countries and territories around the world including Ethiopia.
For more information about UNFPA and its work visit: http://ethiopia.unfpa.org/
For further information, please contact:
Abraham Gelaw, Communication Officer, UNFPA Ethiopia; Tel. +251-115444079, Mobile: +251-911-488627; E-mail: gelaw@unfpa.org
Paula Fernandez Seijo, Communication Specialist, UNFPA Ethiopia; Mobile: +251 935597136 - E-mail: pfernandez@unfpa.org
