http://www.ipas.org Ipas works globally to increase women's ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights and to reduce abortion-related deaths and injuries. We seek to expand the availability, quality and sustainability of abortion and related reproductive-health services, as well as to improve the enabling environment. Ipas believes that no woman should have to risk her life or health because she lacks safe reproductive-health choices. en-us 120 TUE, 07 FEB 2012 24:09:15 EST http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/In_South_Africa_a_doctors_road_from_conservative_born-again_Christian_to_outspoken_advocate_for_reproductive_rights.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/In_South_Africa_a_doctors_road_from_conservative_born-again_Christian_to_outspoken_advocate_for_reproductive_rights.aspx For South African women and girls at risk of HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse or unsafe abortion, there could be no better ally than Dr. Eddie Mhlanga, a physician who received his public health training in the United States. Now South Africa’s chief director of maternal and women’s health, he is an outspoken advocate for reproductive rights and has served on the Ipas board of directors since 2006. THU, 02 FEB 2012 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/In_South_Africa_a_doctors_road_from_conservative_born-again_Christian_to_outspoken_advocate_for_reproductive_rights.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file963_6253.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Developing_countries_hit_hardest_by_stalled_abortion_rate.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Developing_countries_hit_hardest_by_stalled_abortion_rate.aspx The falling rate of induced abortions worldwide has stalled in the last five years, and the proportion of abortions considered unsafe continues to rise, according to new research by the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization. But these trends do not affect all women equally: they almost exclusively affect women in developing countries where abortion is illegal. FRI, 20 JAN 2012 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Developing_countries_hit_hardest_by_stalled_abortion_rate.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file54_6247.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_model_tracks_improved_safe_abortion_care_including_contraception_in_Ethiopia.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_model_tracks_improved_safe_abortion_care_including_contraception_in_Ethiopia.aspx Findings from a two-year project using the Safe Abortion Care (SAC) monitoring approach in the Tigray region of Ethiopia show marked improvements in services, more facilities offering safe abortion care; a shift from treatment of abortion complications to provision of safe abortion; decentralization of services; and improvements in postabortion contraceptive uptake from 2007 to 2009. WED, 11 JAN 2012 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_model_tracks_improved_safe_abortion_care_including_contraception_in_Ethiopia.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file677_6229.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/With_official_launch_of_Ipas_Zambia_exped_efforts_under_way_to_improve_access_to_safe_abortion_care.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/With_official_launch_of_Ipas_Zambia_exped_efforts_under_way_to_improve_access_to_safe_abortion_care.aspx Five years into its work to reduce the number of deaths from unsafe abortion in Zambia, Ipas is stepping up its efforts by launching a full-scale country program. Ipas Zambia officially opened its office on December 14, 2011, with a ceremony in Lusaka attended by a representative of the Ministry of Health and dozens of local partners and Ipas staff. FRI, 06 JAN 2012 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/With_official_launch_of_Ipas_Zambia_exped_efforts_under_way_to_improve_access_to_safe_abortion_care.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file187_6225.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_mourns_loss_of_two_champions_in_Ghana.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_mourns_loss_of_two_champions_in_Ghana.aspx Two important champions for women’s reproductive health passed away in recent months: Dr. Joe Taylor and His Excellency Dr. Richard Turkson. Both had strong links to Ipas and were outspoken supporters of safe abortion care for women around the world. TUE, 27 DEC 2011 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_mourns_loss_of_two_champions_in_Ghana.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file121_6220.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_members_of_Congress_call_for_end_to_overly_restrictive_U.S._abortion_policy_abroad.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_members_of_Congress_call_for_end_to_overly_restrictive_U.S._abortion_policy_abroad.aspx Noting that current restrictions on foreign aid for abortion services go beyond even those imposed by the highly restrictive Helms Amendment—cutting off access to critical and potentially life-saving services for millions of women in the developing world—the Center for Reproductive Rights and Ipas joined with the 12 members of Congress who issued a letter Wednesday calling on President Barack Obama to lift all restrictions that exceed the mandate of the 1973 law. THU, 22 DEC 2011 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_members_of_Congress_call_for_end_to_overly_restrictive_U.S._abortion_policy_abroad.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file622_6219.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_Mexico_director_calls_on_health-system_leaders_to_reduce_maternal_deaths.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_Mexico_director_calls_on_health-system_leaders_to_reduce_maternal_deaths.aspx Expressing concern about proposed budget cuts to all government sexual and reproductive health programs, Ipas Mexico director Raffaela Schiavon outlined key public policy interventions to help reduce Mexico’s maternal mortality rate at the National Meeting of Hospital Directors on Nov. 3. MON, 19 DEC 2011 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_Mexico_director_calls_on_health-system_leaders_to_reduce_maternal_deaths.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file829_6205.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/On_behalf_of_Nicaraguan_sexual_violence_victims_Ipas_helps_petition_human_rights_commission.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/On_behalf_of_Nicaraguan_sexual_violence_victims_Ipas_helps_petition_human_rights_commission.aspx On Oct. 24, women’s rights advocacy groups from Nicaragua, including Ipas Central America, testified before the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights on the violations of women’s and girls’ human rights in that country caused by sexual violence. The petitioners called for the hearing following the repeated failure of the government to act to protect women from sexual violence, or to provide appropriate treatment to survivors of such violence. MON, 19 DEC 2011 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/On_behalf_of_Nicaraguan_sexual_violence_victims_Ipas_helps_petition_human_rights_commission.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file852_6206.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Lmark_report_reviews_Central_American_laws_against_sexual_violence.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Lmark_report_reviews_Central_American_laws_against_sexual_violence.aspx A recently published Ipas report, “Analysis of the Legal Framework for Treating Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence,” reviews for the first time the existing laws that address sexual violence in four Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. MON, 19 DEC 2011 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Lmark_report_reviews_Central_American_laws_against_sexual_violence.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file584_6207.jpg http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_message_across_Latin_America_Sexual_reproductive_rights_are_human_rights.aspx?ref=rss http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_message_across_Latin_America_Sexual_reproductive_rights_are_human_rights.aspx Ipas Central America joined a crowd marching in the streets of Nicaragua’s capital, Managua, on Nov. 25 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. And on the same day in Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, more than a thousand people—including Ipas Bolivia team members—marched against gender-based violence. MON, 19 DEC 2011 EST 77 50 http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Ipas_message_across_Latin_America_Sexual_reproductive_rights_are_human_rights.aspx?ref=rss /Library/News/News_Items/asset_upload_file780_6209.jpg