| UNFPA IN THE NEWS – OCTOBER 11-17, 2003 The Press Trust of India reported October 14
that UNFPA has criticized a statement by the President of the
Vatican's Pontifical Council that condoms do not protect people
from HIV virus. It is "scientifically incorrect and could
contribute to the spread of the virus," UNFPA Executive
Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said. "The fact is that when
condoms are properly used, in conjunction with programs encouraging
abstinence and fidelity to one partner, they provide effective
protection against HIV/AIDS transmission," Obaid said. Read: Barbados
Advocate and UN
News Centre This week’s coverage on UNFPA’s State of the
World Population Report shifted toward country-specific, referencing
of the report. The New Straits Times (Malaysia) reported October
15 that Malaysia's education system and basic health facilities
have helped create awareness among adolescents to handle risks
that are commonly faced by their counterparts in poor and developing
countries. UNFPA representative, Dr. Richard Leete, complimented
Malaysia for making education opportunities available, even to
women up to the highest level. The story mentioned, “This year's
report, ‘Making one billion count – Investing in Adolescents'
Health and Rights,’ highlights that the largest generation of
1.2 billion teenagers in history are preparing to enter adulthood
in a rapidly changing world.” In Nigeria, The Vanguard (Nigeria)
reported October 13 that the Nigerian government along with governments
of other countries under the persistent threat of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic, have been tasked to make available increased funding,
expanded information and services as a way of putting a check
on the increasing incidence of the epidemic amongst young people
of the world. The story noted in UNFPA’s 2003 edition of the "State
of the World's Population," the agency's Executive Director,
Thoraya Obaid, who described the new report as a wake-up call,
lamented that HIV/AIDS had become a disease of young people and
that failure to provide the required investment would result
in a global catastrophe. In Papua New Guinea, PNG Courier-Post
reported October 13 that UNFPA PNG advocates on reproductive
and health issues, affecting young people, including HIV/AIDS. Read: New
Straits Times(Malaysia), Xinhua
General News Service 1, Xinhua
General News Service 2, Sunday
Times(South
Africa), Vanguard(Nigeria), Republic
of Bostswana, Nepal News The Independent (Gambia) reported October 17
that despite increasing awareness of the HIV/AIDS virus, it has
been revealed that Africa still bears the severest brunt of the
scourge three years into the new millennium. Delivering an opening
statement in a five-day training workshop for members of the
Association of Youth in the Media (AYM) on the theme "positive
reporting on HIV/AIDS" Bintou Susso of the UNFPA said Africa
is the continent worst hit by the disease and other sexually
transmitted diseases. In a warning directed at skeptics Susso
said, "It was dangerous to assert that HIV/AIDS does not
exist. It is a real disease and people should not accept notions
to the contrary." Read: The Independent An October 17 story by Asia Pulse noted the
transmission of HIV in the Asia-Pacific areas is expected to
exceed the rate in the next decade that of the sub-Sahara Africa,
the region which has now the highest rate of HIV cases the world
over. The story also mentioned UNFPA cited that youths aged 10
to 24 are the most affected by HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific region
with one being affected every 14 seconds. The Republic of Botswana reported October 15
that UNFPA Representative to Botswana. Dr. Agathe Lawson, called
for a positive and concerted dialogue among parents, families,
communities and governments to address complex and sensitive
issues facing young people. “The costs of failing to support
young people will have serious consequences at both the individual
and societal level,” she said. Lawson commended the Government
of Botswana for showing commitments in the health of young people.
Read: Republic of Botswana UN IRIN reported October 13 that eleven children
were killed and 73 injured, 25 severely, when lightning struck
their school on Thursday in the village of Bikori, some 95 km
south of the town of Mbandaka in northwestern Democratic Republic
of the Congo, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) reported. Local government officials, the Congolese
Red Cross, UNFPA and international medical relief NGO Medecins
Sans Frontieres were all contributing to the relief effort, OCHA
said. Read: UN IRIN Accra Mail (Ghana) reported October 15 that
the Institute of Adult Education, University of Ghana, Legon,
in collaboration with UNFPA, has launched a campus-wide HIV/AIDS
prevention program and a three-month distance education training
course on HIV/AIDS counseling and care giving. Read: Accra Mail
The Times of India ran an October 15 interview with Aravind
Pulikkal, UNFPA regional coordinator, on the release of the Integrated
Population and development Project, Phase II. Pulikkal explained, “IPD
Phase-II is the sixth program cycle of UNFPA assistance to Gujarat for
the period 2003-2007. The participatory planning process involved nearly
1,000 persons from all over the state. State consultations and district
workshops were also conducted.“ Pulikkal also noted the goal of the program
is a reduction in maternal deaths, balancing the sex ratio, achieving replacement
level fertility of 2.1 by 2010, improving availability, accessibility and
quality of reproductive health services, creating awareness on prevention
of HIV/AIDS, and improving quality of care are some of the major goals
to be achieved. Read: Times of India Panafrican News Agency (PANA) reported October 14 maternal
mortality in Nigeria has continued to increase due to the lack of basic essential
obstetric care facilities, a survey of health facilities in 12 selected states
has revealed. The survey, undertaken this year by the federal ministry of
health in collaboration with the UNFPA as part of maternal mortality reduction
efforts, showed that though only 740 out of every 100,000 women die of pregnancy-related
complications presently, the country lags in providing the necessary obstetric
care facilities. Panafrican News Agency (PANA) reported October 14 that UNFPA
has developed a guide in Nigeria to narrow the communication gap between
parents and children, with a view to strengthening adolescent reproductive
health. The guide is also expected to promote family bond, reduce unwanted
pregnancy, abortion as well as early marriage, according to UNFPA country
representative Niangoran Essan. BusinessWorld (Philippines) reported October 17 that Filipino
women are catching up with men in inflicting violence on their partners,
a Department of Health (DOH) official said. Dr. Ronald A. Maligat, head of
DOH Policy and Administration, cited a UNFPA 2001 survey that showed 19.5%
of never-married Filipino males in Luzon experienced physical violence, with
56% of them having one to two episodes per year. It also cited how 2% to
7% of never-married males in the Visayas region experienced physical violence,
with 75% having at least one episode per year. The Manila Standard (Philippines) reported October 11 Lorrize
Mae Guevara, who almost became the world's six billionth baby in 1999, will
turn four tomorrow. Lorrize Mae is the country's version of the world's six
billionth baby, because she was born at a time when the world's population
reached six billion, the Commission on Population said. The story mentioned
that United Nations Population Fundnamed a European baby as the world's six
billionth and became a representation of the global population reaching another
milestone. On October 17, Xinhua General News Service reported UNFPA
representative to Rwanda, Dirk Jena, said that the UN agency plans to increase
youth centers from six to nine provinces in the tiny central African state.
He made the disclosure on Friday, Oct. 17 during the release of the State
of the World Population 2003 Report, which indicates that about 1.2 billion
adolescents enter into adulthood annually.
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