"The key is personal contact," explains Meneses. "In nearly every case, cover letters go with each press release, document or information kit informing our media contacts why this issue is important and highlighting the aspects likely to interest them specifically. And, of course, we talk to them constantly on the phone. That way, we know what they are working on and how the UNFPA angle might fit in."

"UNFPA is taken very seriously here," says Mercedes Rivas, one of the country’s top radio commentators on health issues. "I have never received one piece of ‘fluff ’ from UNFPA. The information I get from Ramon is often pegged to stories I am already working on."

The bureau has helped others gain visibility for population-related issues. Meneses’ team helped the highly successful effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to brief national media on key issues in the 1996 World Food Summit, including the need for food security for expanding populations. The bureau also assists the IEC unit at the Ministry for Social Action in support of the government’s ambitious reproductive health and family planning programme.

The unit produced a series of 29 public service radio spots focusing on various reproductive health issues, including adolescent pregnancies. The spots ran, one each day, for an entire month. Each spot was designed like a short radio soap opera, with a distinct theme, using professional performers to play the parts. "This was one of the most successful IEC campaigns ever carried out in the country," comments Aleyda Gadea, who is in charge of the unit’s radio programmes. 9 "We were deluged with inquiries from listeners, and the station managers were unanimous in their praise of the series. We are now working on a follow-up campaign."

Advocacy is a never-ending process. This is reflected by Jairo Palacio’s daily advocacy with key government officials, the donor community and NGOs on the need for cooperation. "With budgets cut to the bone, collaboration is the key," says Jairo. "The tasks are simply too big and costly for one of us to tackle alone."

One of UNFPA’s major successes was the creation in 1995 of a new division in the Ministry of Health. Replacing an old unit that dealt only with maternal and child health, the new division, named "Comprehensive Health Care for Women, Children and Adolescents", reflects the more inclusive approach to health care that grew out of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.

Jairo Palacio’s office and UNFPA’s Country Support Team based in Santiago, Chile, provided substantial technical assistance in the sometimes painful process of change. "Mr. Palacio and his staff helped to refocus our programme, emphasizing the more comprehensive approach of reproductive health," says Dr. Azucena Saballos, Director-General of the new division.

NGOs helped design guidelines for reproductive health services. The division held extensive consultations with NGOs during the preparatory phases, and NGO representatives were allowed to present their positions to key Health Ministry personnel. "We had never attempted cooperation on this scale before," says Dr. Saballos, "and we probably would not have been able to carry through these reforms, nor reached an operational consensus with the NGO community if UNFPA hadn’t been there every step of the way."

One of the most important changes was in the Health Ministry’s service delivery structure. "Before, we were dealing mostly with family planning, including prenatal and postnatal care," Dr. Saballos says. "After the overhaul, we not only broadened our package of services to include all aspects of reproductive health but also singled out adolescents as a special group needing special services."

In 1996, the Health Ministry launched a nation-wide programme to provide adolescents with integrated reproductive health services, including family life and sex education, often in cooperation with NGOs. The Health Ministry has accepted that reproductive health and family planning are for everyone. "Before the changes, we virtually ignored men," admits Dr. Saballos.

"A very solid foundation has been laid for a continuing, productive relationship between the government, leading NGOs and the donor community to introduce better reproductive health and family planning services," observes Dr. Saballos. "This entire initiative stands out as one of the most satisfying development efforts in my experience. And UNFPA’s facilitating role was absolutely essential in getting us there."

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