New Releases

This  AYSA report focuses on young people aged 10-24 years.

Young people matter. They matter because they have inherent human rights that must be upheld. They matter because an unprecedented 1.8 billion youth are alive today, and because they are the shapers and leaders of our global future. Yet in a world of adult concerns, young people are often overlooked. This tendency cries out for urgent correction, because it imperils youth as well as economies and societies at large.

In some countries, the growth of the youth population is outpacing the growth of the economy and outstripping the capacities of institutions charged with providing them basic services. Will schools and universities be able to meet the demand for education? Some 120 million young people reach working age every year. Will there be enough jobs to accommodate their need for decent work and a good income? Are health services strong enough? Will the young, including adolescents, have the information and services they need to avoid early, unintended and life-changing parenthood? Will the next generation be able to realize its full potential?

The State of World Population 2014, released by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, looks at these and other questions to show how young people are key to economic and social progress in developing countries, and describes what must be done to realize their full potential. 

LSIS is a household-based survey that applied the technical frameworks of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). It is the first of its kind in Lao PDR. The LSIS was conducted to collect baseline data for the 7th National Social Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and continued monitoring of progress towards the MDGs. LSIS provides up-to-date information on the social situation of children, women and men covering health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, marriage and sexual activity, fertility and mortality, contraception, HIV/AIDS, child protection, and use of mass media and information technology.  

All human beings—regardless of age, sex, race or income—are equal in dignity and rights. Yet 222 million women in developing countries are unable to exercise the human right to voluntary family planning.

This flagship report analyzes data and trends to understand who is denied access and why. It examines challenges in expanding access to family planning. And it considers the social and economic impact of family planning as well as the costs and savings of making it available to everyone who needs it.

The report asserts that governments, civil society, health providers and communities have the responsibility to protect the right to family planning for women across the spectrum, including those who are young or unmarried.

Nevertheless, the report finds that financial resources for family planning have declined and contraceptive use has remained mostly steady. In 2010, donor countries fell $500 million short of their expected contribution to sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries. Contraceptive prevalence has increased globally by just 0.1 per cent per year over the last few years.