VIENTIANE - Laos commits to universal access to family planning during the launching of a report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Laos' capital of Vientiane on Friday, according to a senior official.

Laos' Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Somchit Inthamith said in a press release that Laos was committed to universal family planning and improving maternal health, "this will directly impact on achieving the other MDG targets in Laos, as we ascend to graduating from the Least Developed County status in 2020."

The UNFPA report, the State of World Population (SWOP) Report 2012, found that voluntary family planning would reduce maternal deaths and foster development by reducing costs for maternal and newborn healthcare by 11.3 billion U.S. dollars annually worldwide. The report is based on a global study prepared to assess the different countries achievements and setbacks in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Laos, one of South East Asia's least developed nations, has committed to reaching all the MDGs, which include improving maternal health, reducing infant mortality and promoting gender equality. Presently in Laos at least two women die every day because of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

The SWOP report also found that increased contraceptive use has proven to reduce maternal deaths by 40 percent by reducing unintended pregnancies. "Ensuring universal access to voluntary family planning is a matter of protecting human rights. Failure to enable women to make free and informed decisions about their own reproduction is a serious brake on economic development," said UNFPA Representative to Laos Esther Muia in a press release.