| UNFPA IN THE NEWS – JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY
6, 2004 UNFPA URGES MORE INVESTMENT IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH The Associated Press reported February 3 that
"Adding it Up: The Benefits of Sexual and Reproductive Health
Care," a joint report by the Alan Guttmacher Institute and the
UN Population Fund, calls on developed countries to live up to
multi million dollar funding pledges they made at a Cairo conference
10 years ago. Reuters reported February 3 that according to the
report, keeping women healthy and providing contraceptives to
delay childbirth and allow couples to have smaller families also
contributes to economic growth and equality. "Money invested in
sexual and reproductive health services will be repaid many times
over," said Thoraya Obaid, executive director of UNFPA. Read:
Associated Press,
Reuters,
Inter Press Service,
BBC News ETHIOPIA: Child Brides Outcasts Due to Fistula Inter Press Service’s February 4 story on the
cause and effect of child brides and fistula reported that reliable
data on obstetric fistula are hard to come by for the whole of
Africa, although the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates
that between 50,000 and 100,000 women may be affected. The story
noted UNFPA began fistula prevention programs in 2002. But President
George Bush, alarmed by reports that the agency was supporting
forced abortions in China, later withheld 34 million dollars worth
of funding for UNFPA. This has had a knock-on effect for the agency's
work in other parts of the world, including Ethiopia. UNFPA denies
the charge of endorsing forced abortions in China. Read: Inter
Press Service KENYA: Shortage of Family Planning Funds Results in Shortage of Services The Nation’s February 5 story reported
that Family Planning Association of Kenya project officer in charge
of service delivery, Dr Charles Weiyo, said the situation is out
of hand and poses major problems for the sector. "We have been
forced to halt our outreach family planning activities and only
concentrate on the clinics but the number of clients is unmanageable
as the public health facilities have nothing to offer," he said.
He added that the government assured them that it had identified
new donors such as the United Nations Population Fund and the
German Bank of Reconstruction and that the situation will be contained
by next month. Read: The Nation MALDIVES: Study on Family Law Hareevu Daily (Maldives) reported February
2 that UNFPA will conduct a study on the impact of family law
on Maldivian families. “The family law was amended with the hope
to strengthen the family in Maldives. There has been positive
results from the law, but we need to study whether the law has
made it easy on families or whether they still face difficulties,”
UNFPA’s assistant representative Dunya Maumoon said. The survey
will study issues related to divorce, and the difficulties faced
by divorced women in getting finance from their husbands for the
welfare of their children. Read: Hareevu Daily NEPAL: Population Total Xinhua General News Service reported February
4 that the total population in Nepal will reach 35 million by
the year 2021, according to a report published Wednesday by the
Nepali Ministry of Population and Environment. The story also
noted another statistic made by the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) put Nepal's population in 2002 at 25.04 million.
PHILIPPINES: The Catholic Church and Family Planning Business World (Philippines) February 2 opinion
piece addressing the debate between the Catholic Church and family
planning mentioned the United States has stopped contributing
to the United Nations Population Fund and population and reproductive
health have not been mentioned as among the UN's Millennium Development
Goals. UNITED STATES: 34 Million for UNFPA The Hartford Courant (CT) ran a February
2 editorial on U.S. Congress approval for $34 million for UNFPA
and UNFPA activities. The editorial noted, “Experts estimate that
the money, earmarked for family planning programs of the United
Nations Population Fund, can prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies,
800,000 abortions and 4,700 maternal deaths.” The editorial also
pointed out, “When the Iranian city of Bam was all but obliterated
by a Dec. 26 earthquake, the U.N. Population Fund stepped in to
help provide sanitary conditions for thousands of people. Loss
of three hospitals and about half of the city's health care personnel
put many pregnant women at risk.” Read: Hartford Courant UNITED STATES: Conservative Group Criticizes UNFPA On February 4, The Miami Herald (FL)
ran a letter by Scott Weinberg of the conservative group, Population
Research Institute. In it, he noted in the column by Nazir Khaja,
Nancy Kipnis and Frances Kissling claim that an interdenominational
group of nine religious leaders and ethicists have evidence to
show that the U.N. Population Fund does not support coercive abortion
in China.” Weinberg also claimed, “This group found that social
compensation fees are imposed on women who refuse to have an abortion
in areas in China where the U.N agency is active.” He further
noted, “President Bush's decision to defund the agency accords
with U.S. law prohibiting funding for groups that support forced
abortion or involuntary sterilization. His decision was based
on the determination from Secretary of State Colin Powell that
the agency is helping the government of China to carry out its
program of forced abortion.” Weinberg concluded, “If this religious
group is so concerned about human rights, why didn't it criticize
the government of China for the monstrous abuses committed against
believers?” Read: Miami Herald UNITED STATES: 34 Million Friends Campus Campaign UDaily (University of Delaware) reported
February 3 that it is hosting 'Women in Action' symposium on Feb.
26-27. The story noted Laura Laski, senior technical officer at
the United Nations Population Fund, will be part of the panel
of guest speakers. Read: UDaily
 Back to top
|
