We are fundamentally connected with each other and our environment. As population increases, the amount of fresh water available to each person decreases. Today, almost half a billion people have insufficient supplies of fresh water. This, in turn, takes a toll on health, economic development and food production, and raises the likelihood of regional conflicts over water. Family planning and efforts to slow population growth today can reduce he severity of fresh water scarcity tomorrow.
Pregnancy is literally a life-threatening condition for many women in the developing world.
Women who have fewer children, later in life, and more time between pregnancies, increase the chances of their children's survival as well as their own. When women have less than 18 months between deliveries, the risk of their children dying before age five doubles. More than 12 million children under five die each year. The availability of prenatal care, trained birth attendants and family planning services is essential to making pregnancy and childbirth safer for women and their babies. Over 100 million married women say they want to plan their families, but do not have access to safe, effective contraception.