On the 17th of April representatives from the United Nations, the private sector, governments, philanthropy, academia and civil society met for the first time under the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children. The Commission was created by the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, under the auspices of the Every Woman Every Child movement. It seeks to amplify efforts to save and improve the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015. Co-chairs of the commission are President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway.

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On the 5th of april leaders of nearly 120 national parliaments attending a major meeting in Kampala resolved to prioritize action and resources for improving the health of women and children. It is the first time that the world’s parliaments, acting through the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), have passed a resolution on this issue.

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FC2 Female condoms saved between $15 and $20 for every dollar spent. In Washington, D.C., researchers made this calculation after comparing the cost of a condom program with the cost of HIV infections it prevented. Although male condoms are more familiar and cheaper, this study finds female condoms are highly cost-effective for HIV prevention.

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