The United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA  in India Reproductive Health including Family Planning and Sexual Health    UNFPA’s Fifth Country Programme was approved in 1997, and recently extended until December 2002. In order to address the issues raised by the ICPD Programme of Action, India has committed itself to improving access to quality reproductive health information and services. The country no longer sets targets for specific contraceptive methods. At the same time, the country’s political and decision-making structure has been decentralized, with more power devolved to its 35 states.    Because of a shortfall in resources, due to UNFPA’s budgetary crisis, the Indian programme received only two-thirds as much funding as originally committed. Hence, UNFPA’s programme needed to focus on the most essential interventions. UNFPA’s main objective is to assist the Government by making available a comprehensive package of reproductive health services that go beyond family planning and maternal and child health to include: Diagnosis and treatment of Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs); Diagnosis and treatment of STIs (sexually transmitted infections); Prevention of HIV/AIDS and AIDS education among youth; Management of complications from unsafe abortion Encouragement of vasectomies among men Infertility treatment; Detection of breast and cervical cancers Making violence against women a health issue; and Addressing the needs of adolescents through "life skills for better health" programmes.    In addition, UNFPA’s Country Programme emphasizes government partnerships with national and local NGOs as a way of improving the delivery of community-based reproductive health services. Family life education is being introduced into schools in the states where UNFPA is active. Population and Development    UNFPA’s population and development initiatives focus on two areas: 1) establishing links between population and development through systematic research; and 2) promoting the empowerment of women as keys to social and economic development.    Most of UNFPA’s resources in this area are earmarked for women’s empowerment initiatives. Projects to empower women in two States, Haryana and Maharashtra, through local NGOs include: Social mobilization of women Strengthening women’s participation in local councils or panchayats Addressing violence against women and girls Providing skills training and facilities for adolescent girls.    UNFPA’s satellite offices in Gujarat and Maharashtra were able to influence each state’s population policies. These now reflect the goals of the ICPD. Also in 2000, India launched a new National Population Policy, set up a National Commission on Population and established a Population Fund to better channel resources to the areas most in need. Advocacy    UNFPA’s advocacy programme aims at mobilizing the media, opinion leaders (including members of Congress), policy makers, planners and others to support the goals of the ICPD.    Underscoring this strategy, UNFPA supports population and development education in both the formal and non-formal educational system. Projects pay particular attention to the needs of out-of-school youth.    UNFPA established a Web Site for its India programme. This was the first Web Site in the country that publicized the country’s National Population Policy.    On-going advocacy efforts continue to alert political leaders, administrators, and the media of the need to implement population programmes in a more gender sensitive manner, taking into account the needs and concerns of local communities. BACK HOME