UNFPA IN THE NEWS – SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2004

DEMOGRAPHERS WEIGH-IN ON WORLD POPULATION

Newsweek’s September 27 issue noted: “At a conference in London, the U.N. Population Fund weighed in with a similarly bleak report: unless something dramatically changes, the world's 50 poorest countries will triple in size by 2050, to 1.7 billion people. Yet this is not the full story. To the contrary, in fact. Across the globe, people are having fewer and fewer children. Fertility rates have dropped by half since 1972, from six children per woman to 2.9. And demographers say they ' re still falling, faster than ever.” Read: Newsweek

CONTINUED COVERAGE ON STATE OF THE WORLD POPULATION 2004

Australia: The Age (Australia) ran a September 24 editorial that noted: “ Cairo marked a conceptual shift based on the premise that population trends are closely linked to women's economic and educational status and reproductive health. In short, giving women greater power over their lives offered answers to many of the problems of overpopulation and poverty. This might seem obvious now, but as noted by the UN Population Fund's new review, The Cairo Consensus at Ten, broad acceptance of the approach is only recent. “ It concluded, “ Now that the Cairo approach has begun to prove its worth, developed nations should back it properly.” Read: The Age

Kenya: New Vision (Kenya) reported September 20 that both the global population report by UNFPA and State of Uganda's Population 2004 call for reduction in population growth rates through, among others, women's empowerment. "Poverty dramatically increases a woman's chances of dying. The lifetime risk of a woman dying in pregnancy or childbirth (maternal mortality) in West Africa is one in 12 (1:12) women. In developed regions, the comparable risk is one in 4,000 (1:4,000)," says the UNFPA report. "Lack of reproductive health care will continue to be the leading cause of death of women in developing countries," said James Kuriah, the UNFPA representative in Uganda. Read: New Vision

Mozambique: IRIN reported September 20 that during the recent launch of UNFPA's annual report, UNFPA representative, Petra Lantz, estimated that at least 45 percent of new HIV infections occurred among Mozambicans aged between 20 and 24, with four times more women becoming infected than men. Lantz added: "That's why more stress must be laid on empowering girls: so that they can attend school, obtain life skills, protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, and avoid early pregnancies." Read: IRIN

Nepal: In the September 24-30 issue of Nepal News, it reported on hopeful indicators showing progress in Nepal from UNFPA’s State of World Population report. The story noted: “A decade after the conclusion of first International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Nepal has made certain progress in the areas like poverty alleviation, empowerment of women and access to reproductive health. According to the report, Nepal has made progress in sectors like total fertility rate and population growth. UNFPA projected that Nepal ’s population will be 50 million by 2050. The current population of the country is 25.7 million.” Read: Nepal News

Nigeria: The Daily Champion (Nigeria) reported September 21 that Nigeria's estimated population in 2050 according to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) should get the government thinking. The 2004 State of the World's Population overview projected Nigeria's population in 2050 to be 258.5 million. Read: Daily Champion

Philippines: BusinessWorld (Philippines) reported September 20 that since more than half of the world's population will be living in cities by 2007 due to continued rural-to-urban migration and increased fertility rates, governments are seriously facing broad challenges in terms of infrastructure, health care, and delivery of basic services, UNFPA said in its 2004 State of the World Population report. In the Philippines, 61% of the population lived in urban areas as of last year. This number, the third highest in the region after Singapore and Malaysia, is expected to swell as the UNFPA places the country's urban growth rate for 2000-2005 at 3.1%.

ABS-CBN News September 19 story on UNFPA’s State of the World Population 2004 report mentioned that in the Philippines 20.5 percent of married women have unmet needs for family planning methods. Read: ABS-CBN News

Zimbabwe: A September 20 story by The Herald (Zimbabwe) mentioned that UNFPA’s State of the World Population report noted: "For the seven African countries with adult HIV prevalence of 20 percent or more, the population is projected to be 35 percent lower by 2025 than it would have been in the absence of AIDS. By 2020-2025 life expectancy in these countries will be 29 years less than it would be without AIDS, a 41 percent difference." The story noted that Zimbabwe, with a 24.6 percent HIV prevalence rate in the 24-49 age group, qualifies as one of the seven countries. Read: The Herald

AFRICA: More Investment in African Countries Needed to Meet MDGs

Panafrican News Agency reported September 23 that as development agencies continue to raise alarm over increasing poverty in Africa, Nigerian President and African Union (AU) chair, Olusegun Obasanjo said the continent would require more than $65 billion in annual investment to meet the target of the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty by half by 2015. Speaking at a high-level meeting of the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board with the United Kingdom Commission for Africa as part of his engagements at the UN General Assembly, Obasanjo said Africa needed the support of rich nations to get out of the woods.

ARMENIA: Poster Contest to Celebrate Tenth Anniversary of ICPD

ARMINFO News Agency reported September 23 that the UNFPA jointly with the Armenian Center of the International Union of Puppeteers will hold a poster contest on October 5 dedicated the 10th anniversary of the International Forum on Development and Population. According to UNFPA Office in Yerevan , the contest is dedicated to the topic "Woman in Our Public, Promises of the International Forum on Development and Population." Young painters will present their works displaying their own perception of the rights and opportunities of men and women.

BHUTAN: Country Director Finds Progress During Visit

Keunsel (Bhutan) reported September 18 that during his visit, United Nations Population Fund country director, Hendrik van der Pol, said, reducing maternal mortality and increasing HIV/AIDS detection were areas that needed more emphasis. Upon seeing UNFPA’s work in Bhutan, the director told Kuensel that he was pleased to find evidence of progress in Bhutan. He commended Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, Goodwill Ambassador of UNFPA, for the achievements UNFPA had made. “Her Majesty’s efforts have lowered the taboos surrounding reproductive health and sexual issues here,” said Hendrik van der Pol. “UNFPA has had a very enthusiastic backing from the people of Bhutan and this has made our progress easier, far reaching and effective,” he added. Read: Keunsel, Bhutan Broadcasting Service

INDIA: Unbalanced Sex Ratio

The Washington Times September 18 story told of a woman and her husband who were focused on trying to have a son who could be the "perfect heir" for the family and also for the business. If necessary, they would seek the help of a modern fertility clinic to help them choose the sex of their child. The story noted this situation is repeated countless times in Bombay and other Indian cities, where affluent parents are killing tens of thousands of fetal girls per year, hoping for a boy instead. A recent United Nations Population Fund report said the practice is widespread in India . An anti-girl bias and the killing of girl babies has been common among India's poor and working class for decades, but new figures show that in the heart of New Delhi—where India's richest and the best-educated live—the ratio of girls to boys showed the sharpest fall. Read: Washington Times

LIBERIA: Revision on National Population Policy

The Inquirer (Liberia) reported September 21 that the National Policy Population Act, according to stakeholders and institutions, needs amendment giving the demographic, social and economic realities of postwar Liberia . The story mentioned that the one-day meeting on revising the National Population Policy brought together representatives from the Ministry of Planning, UNFPA, the organizing committee of the Liberia Parliamentarian Council Population Development, the National Transitional Legislative Assembly and others.

NIGERIA: Global Survey on HIV/AIDS and Youth

The Vanguard (Nigeria) reported September 21 that according to the global survey conducted by UNFPA, culture has had an impact for good and for bad in HIV/AIDS prevention work. The survey revealed that a total of 48 percent of countries reported on positive aspects of their culture that facilitated HIV/AIDS prevention efforts: that social attitudes promote community involvement; that religious beliefs can reduce risky behaviors; that the culture promotes delays in the onset of sexual activity among young people; and that the extended family helps to care for and support HIV-positive persons. Read: The Vanguard

PAKISTAN: Home Births Raise Risk of Maternal Death—Report

The Daily Times (Pakistan) reported September 23 that the prenatal mortality rate continues to be high in Pakistan, partially because 80 percent of the total 4.5 million annual births occur at home, observed the Pakistan Population Assessment 2003, a report by UNFPA. Read: Daily Times

PAKISTAN: Midwives Training School to Be Established

Pakistan Newswire reported September 22 that UNFPA Country Representative, Oliver Brasseur, briefed Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Aslam Sanjrani on the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAC). The story mentioned that under CPAC, a midwives training school will be established at Jacobabad.

PHILIPPINES: Media Campaign Launched to Mark 10th Anniversary of ICPD

BusinessWorld (Philippines) reported September 24 that to mark the 10th anniversary of the Cairo consensus, ICPD proponents and advocates launched a media campaign last week. The Department of Health and the United Nations Population Fund, together with the Commission on Population and the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network, led this campaign. Five 30-second television advertisements and five 45-second radio spots were produced by ReachOut Foundation International. The advertisements tackled topics such as family planning, maternal and child health, violence against women, adolescent reproductive rights, and HIV/AIDS.

TUVALU: Poor Maternity Facilities Increase Maternal Mortality

Radio Australia reported September 20 that reproductive health workers in Tuvalu say poor maternity facilities in the country could cause an increase in maternal mortality. Recent statistics from the United Nations Population Fund and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community reveal that maternal deaths have occurred sporadically in Tuvalu in the past and the high infant mortality rate is due mainly to obstructed labor. Read: Radio Australia

UNITED STATES: Family Planning Crucial to Save Resources

In a September 20 column that ran in The Des Moines Register (U.S.), Bill Leonard noted: “One of the most crucial elements in the desperate battle to save the world's resources is population control, an obvious imperative in a world that every day posts a net gain of 220,000 souls, a huge share of them born into hunger and hopelessness. Yet again this year, President George W. Bush vetoed an appropriation of a modest $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund. The money would have paid for modern contraceptives, programs to reduce infant mortality and the spread of disease. But a perceived political obligation to the implacable foes of family planning and women's rights brought the third such Bush veto in three years.” Read: Des Moines Register

ZAMBIA AND THE NETHERLANDS : Parliamentarians Tour Health Projects

A September 22 story by The Times of Zambia mentioned that UNFPA representative, Margaret O'Callaghan, who accompanied a delegation of parliamentarians from Finland , Norway, Denmark and Sweden to Solwezi, said it was important that the MPs visited Zambia and saw the prevailing situation both socially and economically. "Through that they will present a synergy which will help to create impact. We are very pleased that Nordic MPs had a chance to see the work in Zambia because they are among the biggest U.N. funders. We have managed to help them to understand how the situation is like here, Zambia and as U.N. we will continue working together," O ' Callaghan said. Read: Times of Zambia

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