The ‘State of World Population Report 2022’ was released by the United Nations Population Fund (formerly UNFPA).
- The report was released under the titled “Seeing the Unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy”.
- As per the report, nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide — 121 million annually — are unintended, which it calls “a neglected crisis.”
- As per the report over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of abortions are unsafe, causing 5% to 13% of maternal deaths.
- Unintended pregnancy in India is associated with lower maternal healthcare utilisation and poorer infant and maternal health outcomes, the report stated, highlighting the need to focus on avoiding unintended pregnancies.
- The report said that 13 per cent of women in developing countries begin childbearing before they turn 18.
- An estimated 257 million women globally who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and modern methods of contraception, and in 47 countries about 40% of sexually active women were not using any contraceptive methods.
