| UNFPA IN THE NEWS – DECEMBER
4-10, 2004
WORLD FAMILY SUMMIT
UN News Centre reported December 6 that at the World Family Summit in China, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund’s Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid called on governments and civil society alike "to work harder to strengthen the capacity of families and all of its members to overcome constraints posed by poverty and decreased access to public social services, including sexual and reproductive health." She said this is "very important so that women, individuals and couples can decide about the number and timing of their children, exercise their human rights and have a voice in family decisions to benefit all family members." Read: UN News Centre
CHILD MARRIAGE—AN ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ISSUE
A December 8 story by The Chicago Tribune (U.S.) noted that child marriage is both an economic and cultural issue. Some of the world's industrialized countries once allowed their children to work in factories and marry young. Dr. Laura Laski, UNFPA’s coordinator of the adolescent group, noted that the concept of adolescence evolved in modern developed societies, where females are educated and enter the work force. "Culture is not a static concept," Laski said. "It evolves when parents see there are other institutions and places where girls can go and be safe and productive to society." UNFPA is working in Bangladesh with community and religious leaders to promote schooling and employment in the garment industry as an alternative to premature marriage. "[School and work] is a way for daughters to contribute to the income of a family," Laski said. Read: Chicago Tribune
ARMENIA: Increase in 2005 Budget for UN Country Office
ARMINFO reported December 8 that the UN Armenia Office’s 2005 budget will be increased by 50% to total $15 million, said UN Resident Coordinator, Lise Grande. The increase in budget is due to contributions from UNHCR, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNDP and the Department for Public Information.
BOTSWANA: Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Program Launched in Boteti
Daily News (Botswana) reported December 10 that an adolescent sexual reproductive health program sponsored by UNFPA was launched in the Boteti district by the project manager, Caroline Thito. Read: Daily News
BOTSWANA: Fashion Show to Benefit Orphanages
Daily News (Botswana) reported December 7 that fashion enthusiasts attended the Mass Media complex auditorium for the Restoring Hope Fashion show. Proceeds from the show benefited five orphan centers of Gaborone TCC, SAPSSI, Keletso center in Molepolole, Bona Lesedi in Kanye and Holy Spirit in Mmankgodi. The show was sponsored by UNICEF, UNFPA, Mr. Price, Hair Fantasy, Game stores, Exceptional, Monyadi, WHO, CB stores, Top Line and Barloworld Plascon. Read: Daily News
CHINA: Financial Development Assistance since 1979
Xinhua General News Service reported December 8 that China has received altogether $5.6 billion of assistance from international bodies and foreign countries since 1979. The assistance was destined for 1,000 projects ranging from poverty reduction to prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. The contributors were UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, the World Bank, the European Union and the Asian Development Bank, and more than 20 countries including Britain, Germany,Canada, Belgium, Japan and Australia. Read: Xinhua General News Service
CZECH REPUBLIC: Immigration Cause in Population Increase
Czech Business Weekly reported December 10 that UNFPA released a report saying the Czech birth rate was lower than the death rate. The low birth rate is blamed on Czech pragmatism and the tough choice of how to combine work and motherhood, said Jitka Rychtaøíková, a CharlesUniversity demographer. But thanks to immigration, the population increased in 2003 for the first time in several years. Read: Czech Business Weekly
GAMBIA: Country’s Program Assistance Evaluated
The Independent (Gambia) reported December 6 that UNFPA in collaboration with the Gambian government concluded a three-day workshop on Assessing the Mid Term Report of the country's program of assistance. Read: The Independent
GHANA: Maternal Mortality in the Northern Region
Ghana News Agency reported December 4 that Ghana’s northern region recorded 79 maternal deaths in the past two years and 49 deaths during the first half of this year at its various health facilities. Most of the dead aged between 15 and 49 years. These figures however, do not represent the real situation, as a good number of the deaths, especially in the rural areas, were either not reported or did not occur in the hospitals. Dr. Akwasi Twumasi, Acting Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, said UNFPA and UNICEF were assisting in providing ambulances designed to reach inaccessible areas in the region. Read: Ghana News Agency
MORROCO: Reproductive Health Counseling Program for Youth
Rina Jimenez-David’s December 4 column that ran in The Philippine Daily Inquirer noted that during the Global Media Awards held in Marakeesh, attendees visited a school to tour their Health Club (Club de Sante). The club runs a peer-to-peer reproductive health counseling program, known as Jeunes por Jeunes, or Youth for Youth, with funding from the United Nations Population Fund.
NIGERIA: Youth Group to Use Aggressive Sensitization on HIV/AIDS
This Day (Nigeria) reported December 7 that after returning from the first National Youth Forum on HIV/AIDS in Abuja,Ogun State representatives, Sunday Adelakun and Laide Adeyanju, said their major focus now is aggressive sensitization among youth, especially those in the grassroots, on the AIDS scourge. Public relations officer of the National Youth Council state chapter, Mufutau Idowu Okeowo, released a statement that praised organizers of the first National Youth Forum, the National Action Committee on AIDS, UNICEF, World Bank and UNFPA to involve the youth, as major stakeholder in national development in all activities of government on the AIDS epidemic.
PAKISTAN: French Doctors Visit to Treat Various Diseases
Pakistan Newswire reported December 6 that a team of 25 doctors from France is scheduled to visit the CombinedMilitaryHospital for operations of different diseases from December 11-17 in Muzaffarabad. The team of 25 doctors from France comprises specialist doctors along with qualified doctors dealing in special women sensitive and critical cases. The team of French doctors will bring their equipment and medicines along with them. While giving details to a host of journalists here, Secretary of AJK Welfare Organization, Dr. Bashir ur Rehman, said that the team of doctors from France are coming to Muzaffarabad with support from the government and UNFPA.
SIERRA LEONE: EU Donates Generator to Help Complete Census
Concord Times (Sierra Leone) reported December 8 that Development and Economic Planning Minister, Mohamed Daramy, announced that the European Union donated a generator to Statistics-Sierra Leone to facilitate the timely processing of census data. He said the generator complements the one provided to the department by UNFPA a year ago. "This will eventually help us in timely processing the 2004 Census data," he said. Read: Concord Times
SUDAN: Maternal Mortality Still One of the Highest in the World
IRIN reported December 10 that the high number of women dying in Sudan from causes linked to pregnancy, childbirth and low prevalence of pre- and post natal care was of serious concern, UNFPA reported during its annual country program review in Khartoum. “With the current gap in primary health facilities and the overall number of people affected by the emergency, the situation requires additional efforts to meet the current needs,” Nimal Hettiaratchy, UNFPA representative for Sudan, said. “UNFPA’s main goal is the attainment of Millennium Development Goal No. 5 – the reduction of maternal mortality by 75 percent by 2015,” Hettiaratchy said. “In the Sudanese context, this means that the maternal mortality ratios have to fall down to 178 per 100,000 live births, from the current nationwide average of 509 per 100,000 live births – still one of the highest in the world,” the UNFPA official continued. Read: IRIN
TURKEY: “Stop Violence against Women” Campaign
On December 9, UNFPA’s Turkey office reported that the Turkish media has widely covered its national campaign, “Stop Violence against Women.” The campaign, organized by UNFPA, was led by the State Minister and the General Directorate for Women’s Status on Elimination of Violence against Women Day. UNFPA also has enlisted various celebrities, mosques and the Turkish Football Federation to help promote the campaign.
UGANDA: District Commissioner Helps Raise Awareness on FGM
The Monitor (Uganda) reported December 8 that the Resident District Commissioner, Joseph Arwota, recently spoke at the cultural celebrations organized by the Reproductive, Educative and Community Health program with funding from UNFPA. The day was geared towards sensitizing people to denounce female genital mutilation.
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