UNFPA Assistance Highlights
Though the Republic of Moldova does not yet have a formal country programme, UNFPA plays a very vital role within the UN system, providing financial assistance and technical support to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and its NGO partners. UNFPA is the lead agency among the UN family in terms of improving the quality of reproductive health care and family planning, promoting family life education, providing contraceptive supplies, and training health professionals. The Fund has also played a catalytic role in assisting the International Office of Migration (IOM) in its campaign against trafficking and in combating domestic violence by helping to set up the Shelter for Victims of Gender-based Violence in Chisinau in partnership with the Gender Center and the Center for Psychological, Social and Legal Support for Women.
UNFPA assistance to Moldova focuses on several key areas: Increasing access to quality reproductive health and family planning services and information; introduction of Family Life Education for both in-school and out-of-school adolescents, aged 14-19; training of peer educators on reproductive health; promoting gender equality; policy advocacy with the Government; and increasing awareness of population and development issues in the media.
Reproductive health and family planning services are provided through a network of 47 government-operated Family Planning Cabinets (centres) located in rayons (counties), small towns and in the capital. Since 2001, UNFPA has facilitated the training of 1,000 Family Doctors (out of a total of 2,200 in the country) in reproductive health and family planning counselling and contraceptive technology. In 2004 alone, the UNFPA programme trained nearly 300 primary health care professionals from rural regions – 140 Family Doctors and 149 Family Nurses – greatly improving their capacity to deliver quality reproductive health and family planning services.
“This training programme supported by UNFPA really helped me communicate better with my patients, particularly young people and adolescents,” comments Dr. Valentina Vatamaniuc, in charge of the Family Planning Cabinet in the town of Criuleni, some 40 kilometers from Chisinau. “As a result we have designed a small booklet on adolescent sexuality aimed at 10-14 year olds. We are seeing an increase in venereal diseases especially among young people,” she continues. “UNFPA support has helped us confront this situation and improve the health of women, men and adolescents.”
UNFPA also facilitated the development of the country's only comprehensive Guide on Reproductive Health for Family Doctors. It was made possible through a broad collaborative process involving professionals from the State University of Medicine, the School for Refresher and In-Service Courses for Primary Healthcare Nurses and Midwives and master trainers in reproductive health and family planning.
Another notable achievement was the development of a computer-based logistics programme for tracking contraceptive supplies. This programme has contributed significantly to the country's reproductive health commodity security.
UNFPA, working closely with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, initiated a pilot project in September 2004 to introduce Family Life Education courses into 35 schools throughout the country (see Feature: Building Responsible Adolescent Behaviour through Family Life Education). After evaluating the results, this pilot programme will be introduced into all schools in the country, encompassing grades 1-12.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports considers this programme an essential component in the Government's efforts to reduce teenage pregnancies and rising incidences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among youth. It will also promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the health costs associated with reproductive tract infections, venereal diseases and increased maternal morbidity.
In a related programme, UNFPA has trained 45 young people as peer educators in all aspects of family life education and reproductive health. They, in turn, visit schools, youth centers, and summer camps, providing interactive educational sessions for both in-school and out-of-school youth. Most of these peer educators are also part of the UNFPA-sponsored regional network, called Y-PEER,which links several thousand peer educators in more than 30 countries.
The Government of Moldova endorsed the establishment of a National Population Policy and requested UNFPA's assistance in its development. Few demographic studies exist in Moldova. The Government recognizes the need for such studies in order to create a population database. Issues like migration, population ageing and low fertility are mentioned as some of the emerging problems for which there are no policies in place. UNFPA is exploring the possibility of funding study tours to countries which have active population councils and have developed population policies.
UNFPA has been instrumental in helping to form and maintain the UN Journalists' Club. In 2004, the Fund organized special briefing sessions for key members of the media on the ICPD Programme of Action, Moldova's demographic situation with reference to migration and ageing, and other development-related issues. The Club consists of 28 journalists working in TV, radio and print media.
UNFPA, along with other UN agencies, is promoting gender equality through its reproductive health and family planning projects, through gender-sensitive family life education and the out-reach activities of peer educators and through support for the fight against domestic violence. In advocating for gender equality with various Ministries, the Fund has built valuable alliances with partners such as the Gender Centre in Chisinau, the Astra Network, government-run clinics such as the Dalila Women's Centre in Chisinau, the Reproductive Health Centre 'Ana' in Drochia and the Reproductive Health Centre 'Virginia' located in the town of Cahul.
UNFPA has also been working closely with the International Office of Migration (IOM) since 1999 in combating the illegal trafficking of women and adolescent girls for the sex industry. Currently, IOM and UNFPA-Moldova are entering into a new collaborative agreement whereby UNFPA would provide counselling and reproductive health services to victims of trafficking, along with access to contraceptives.
Collaboration with other UN agencies has proved valuable. In 2004 UNFPA contributed 100,000 condoms to the UNDP and UNAIDS project: “Prevention of STIs and HIV/AIDS in the Armed Forces”. UNICEF and UNAIDS also assisted UNFPA with development of the curriculum for Life Skills Education in schools. |
