London, 11th July 2012. Mr Kyu Ho Choo, Korean Ambassador to Britain, speaking at the London Summit on Family Planning. He announced that Korea would double its support for family planning from $5.4m a year to $10.8m per year, from 2013.

British aid will save the life of a woman or girl in the developing world every two hours for the next eight years, Prime Minister David Cameron said today at the London Summit on Family Planning.

The British Government and co-host the The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation brought together representatives from governments, the private sector, donors and civil society groups who pledged to halve the number of girls and women in developing countries who want - but lack access to - modern contraception.

Britain’s support, which comes from the existing aid budget, will provide an additional 24 million girls and women with family planning services between now and 2020. This will prevent the deaths of around 42,000 girls and women for whom an unintended pregnancy carries the risk of fatal consequences.

Developing countries at the summit made commitments to strengthen and promote women’s rights to family planning and increase access to information, services and supplies.

Picture: Russell Watkins/Department for International Development

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