| UNFPA in the News: Week of June 21-27,
2003 According to a June 25 story by
Inter Press Service, Argentina's new
government supports recent advances made in reproductive health,
despite
the opposition of anti-family planning groups, and of a judge
who
attempted to ban the production and sale of contraceptives altogether.
The story also mentioned that Argentina's health minister signed
the
first agreement between Argentina and UNFPA to promote the new
reproductive health program in the framework of the recommendations
handed down by the 1994 International Conference on Population
and
Development in Cairo. AssA-Irada reported on June 23 that the Woman
Public Association in
association with the Yeni Azerbaijan newspaper held a roundtable
discussion, "Woman in Media: Problems, Realities and Duties," at
the
International Press Center with financial support from the Baku
Office
of UNFPA. United News of Bangladesh reported June 22
that UNFPA Bangladesh has
donated four ambulances to Mother and Child Welfare Centers (MCWCs)
to
improve services to the patients. Suneeta Mukherjee, UNFPA
representative in Bangladesh formally handed over the keys of
the
ambulances to M. Fazlur Rahman, Director General of Directorate
of
Family Planning at a ceremony at UNFPA office. The Hindu (India) reported June 26 that UNFPA
has invited the former
Deputy Registrar General (Census) and the U.N. Census Adviser,
N. Rama
Rao, to help the National Institute of Statistics in Cambodia
in the
preparatory activities for an inter-census population survey
2004. The
objective of the survey is to update the demographic statistics
collected in the 1998 Census held for the first time in 36 years
in that
country. The results of the survey will help the Cambodian Government
in
its efforts to formulate and implement population and development
programmes and combat infant mortality and HIV-AIDS. Ethiopia's Walta Information Centre web site
reported on June 26 that
gender and peer group targeted reproductive health programs undertaken
in the country are exemplary works reinforcing community participation.
The political support and community-based activities need to
be scaled
up in order to address reproductive health program in the country.
The
World Bank, UNFPA, USAID have called on governments to intensify
efforts
in integrating reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programs.
On June 21, The Times of India reported that
'making babies' gets a
whole new meaning in an infertility clinic. The story mentioned
that
amniocentesis is passé, ultrasound machines are still
the rage, but
cutting edge technology is here in the form of 'sex selection.'
Francois
Farah, country representative, United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA),
termed it 'gender terrorism.' He feels India's family planning
norm
visualizes the ideal family as a father, mother, a boy and girl
child. "
Why not father, mother and two girls?" he questioned. Antara, Indonesia's news agency, reported June
26 that UNFPA would
continue to channel financial assistance to Indonesia's South
Sumatra
province in fiscal year 2003, its spokeswoman said. The aid,
which aims
to improve the quality of life of the local people, will go to
seven
districts and cities, Risya Ariyani Kori said. "The financial
assistance
will be directed to Palembang city, as well as the districts
of Ogan
Komering Ilir, Muara Enim and Musi Rawas, among others," said
Kori. She
said the UNFPA decided to continue its financial assistance to
South
Sumatra due to the province's high maternal mortality rate, high
incidence of early marriage, and high number of acts of violence
against
women, as disclosed in recent field surveys. On June 23, Panafrican News Agency ran a story
that noted UNFPA has
named three additional states in Nigeria to benefit from its
2003-2007
assistance program aimed at improving the standard of living
and quality
of life of the people. UNFPA's representative in Nigeria, Niangoran
Essan, said in Lagos that the predominantly Muslim Katsina, Kebbi
and
Sokoto states in northern Nigeria, where tradition and religion
are
still inhibiting population activities, would join the list of
12 states
already getting assistance. On June 23, PNG Post Courier reported that
25 young people from
settlements in Port Moresby and villages from Central and Gulf
provinces
attended the workshop in Port Moresby, funded by UNFPA and organized
by
the Pacific Youth Council Desk. BusinessWorld reported June 23 that donor agencies
presented their
activities in family planning and maternal and health care in
Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao. Participating agencies included the
Ford
Foundation whose activities mostly involve the long-term capacity
building of leaders involved in reproductive health, and UNFPA,
which is
strengthening the capacity of religious leaders to promote reproductive
health in Muslim Mindanao. The story also noted that USAID-supported
John Snow International is empowering midwives to become
owner-entrepreneurs of clinics that provide affordable, quality
and
convenient family planning and maternal and health care. The Southland Times (New Zealand) reported
June 23 that Manapouri census
expert Faye Parsons flew out of Invercargill for five weeks in
Timor-Leste where she will help the United Nations Population
Fund run a
pilot census. She was invited to put her name forward for the
NZ Agency
for International Development-funded task by Christchurch-based
chief
technical officer Allen Harborow because of her experience in
Fiordland
and Southland census work, especially in coordinating census
teams in
remote areas. The Toronto Star's columnist, Michele Landsberg,
noted in her June 22
column that UNFPA says that the official number of 2 million
women who
suffer from fistula accounts only for those who report to medical
facilities for help, and falls far short of the gruesome reality.
There
could be millions more, including 50,000 to 100,000 new cases
each year.
Landsberg also said, "Blame George Bush, strutting hero
of the
anti-choice movement, for vindictively cutting off $34 million
in aid to
the U.N. Population Fund." Read: Toronto Star New York Times Columnist talks about Recent
Columns on Africa
In a June 25 interview on National Public
Radio's show "Fresh
Air," The
New York Times' columnist, Nicholas Kristof who has written many
pieces
in support of UNFPA, said: "The reproductive health care
is just one of
the ways in which you can help poor countries the most, because
once you
save children's lives for very small amounts of money, you save
the
lives of mothers for tiny amounts of money, then they have fewer
children in turn as they know their children will survive, and
they then
provide those kids more education and so on...So the notion that
we were
cutting off funding to the UN Population Fund just went against
everything I believed about how we can help Africa and Asia for
that
matter." Listen to: Fresh Air According to a June 23 story by the Vietnam
Investment Review, "Window
of Love," a weekly radio program, who's technical advisers
are from
UNFPA, offers a forum for young people to ask questions about
sexual
matters and love. Counselors and a disc jockey help young people
to
understand the dangers of contracting HIV/AIDS and what measures
they
can take to protect themselves. On June 23, The Herald reported that a study
by UNFPA and the University
of Zimbabwe showed that despite high levels of knowledge and
awareness
of HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwean men continue to engage in risky sexual
behavior.
It revealed that Zimbabwean male psyche was characterized by
an
insatiable and self-centered desire for sex with multiple partners,
coupled with an intolerant attitude towards women who were perceived
to
be objects of sexual gratification and child bearing. Read: The
Herald
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