The Vanuatu government has made a commitment to improve its reproductive health services before 2015, in a bid to combat high adolescent birth rates and unmet needs for family planning.
The plan is part of its Millennium Development Goals Acceleration Framework Action Plan.
The United Nations Development Programme says the target was selected because it has the potential to achieve significant results within the next few years and has strong political support.
It says work in this area will also accelerate other Millennium Development Goals lagging behind, such as promoting gender equality, reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.
The Vanuatu government says providing such health services is imperative for a population that is expected to double within the next 30 years.
