IPPF: Rio+20 summit must not ignore rapid population growth

(CNN) -- When world leaders gather in Rio Wednesday they will be hammering out a new set of goals to measure sustainable development. This time it's the SDGs (sustainable development goals) -- goals which will form a new development framework. But before we rush to embrace another acronym, we need to tackle a basic injustice left over from the last development goals -- access to reproductive health. Across the world more than two in five pregnancies are unplanned. Clearly this is a wasted opportunity to boost development and stabilize population growth - through something women want and need, the ability to decide when to become pregnant. More: Africa's birth rate: 'Why women must be free to choose' Tewodros Melesse Tewodros Melesse Rapid population growth puts pressure on economies as governments struggle to provide education and health services, yet in many countries around the world women still have little choice when it comes to childbearing. More than 215 million women in the developing world who wish to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy are still not using an effective method of contraception. This unmet need highlights just how far reproductive health and rights have slipped off the agenda: just at the time when it should be key to the challenge of sustainable development.