| UNFPA IN THE NEWS – FEBRUARY
5-18, 2005
TSUNAMI AID RELIEF EFFORTS
Indonesia: Jakarta Post (Indonesia) featured a February 7 interview with UNFPA representative for Indonesia, Bernard Coquelin, about reproductive health in tsunami-affected areas. Coquelin said: “UNFPA mainly focuses on reproductive health and promotion of gender equality, with our main target groups being married couples and pregnant women. Our emergency programs include the re-establishment of reproductive health services, provision of personal hygiene packs to women and girls in refugee camps, provision of mental health services through psycho-social support centers, and also the prevention and management of gender-based violence.”
Associated Press reported February 6 that despite a massive international relief effort, Aceh's devastated public health system is ill-equipped to handle the births. Though a few hospitals have reopened, smaller clinics remain shut. Once abundant, midwives are now scarce, many of them killed when the sea surged. "The (pregnant) women here are in a bad shape," said Henia Dakkak, a public health specialist with the U.N. Population Fund in Banda Aceh. "If we don't start to do something in a few weeks, then we are endangering people's lives." Read: Associated Press
Sri Lanka’s Internet newspaper, The Colombo Page, reported February 13 that UNFPA will provide assistance to set up 250 Women's Information Centers in areas hit by the December 26 tsunamis. These centers will work to meet the social and mental health needs of women. Meeting Women’s Empowerment and Social Welfare Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena and president of the National Women’s Committee Swarna Sumanasekera, UNPF Resident Representative Lubna Baki said they hope to have two women running each of the centers. Read: The Colombo Page
A February 7 story by Newsday (U.S.) noted that nearly one-third of 1,650 midwives in Aceh Province, ground zero of the tsunami, were killed in the disaster and most of the rest are either traumatized or lost their clinics and equipment, according to groups including the United Nations Population Fund. "Pregnant women are being left vulnerable on a variety of fronts," said Alia Nankoe, a UNFPA program officer who is helping coordinate relief for expectant mothers in Aceh. "We're concerned that the number of women and babies who suffer complications or die during childbirth could rise substantially." The story also noted that U.S. Representatives Steve Israel (NY) and Joseph Crowley (NY) plan to introduce a measure in Congress that would unblock at least $35 million to the Population Fund as part of the $350 million that Bush has pledged in tsunami recovery funds. "While the coverage of the tsunami has ebbed from the national media, the flow of aid must continue," said Crowley, who represents the second largest community of South Asians in the United States. Read: Newsday
United States: San Antonio Express-News (U.S.) ran a February 9 editorial addressing the fact that 150,000 women are pregnant and expected to give birth in the next three months in the tsunami-affected countries. The editorial noted: “The U.N. Population Fund is addressing this problem, sending basic hygiene supplies and medical supplies for women. Yes, that's the organization for which the United States has cut funding under this administration for fear some women might opt for abortions. Unfortunately, the tsunami-struck nations may face even greater problems in the future because, along with medical supplies, contraceptives also are lacking.” Read: San Antonio Express-News
The Press Telegram (U.S.) ran a February 13 op ed by Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA), one of the five members of the U.S. Congress who visited Sri Lanka: “UNFPA is mobilizing $9 million for relief and longer-term work for Sri Lanka's women. The agency is similarly active in 140 countries, often providing the only medical care of any kind for miles around. The five of us who went to Sri Lanka will work to see that the United States rejoins the donor community, and assists in this essential work.” She added: “One of UNFPA's hygiene kits went to a woman in a yellow sari, who had undergone a Caesarean section three days previously. Asked what more she needed, she said, ‘Help the doctors, because they help all the people.’ I couldn't have said it better myself.” Read: Press Telegram
WEST AFRICA: Conference on Repositioning Family Planning
Public Agenda (Ghana) reported February 14 that leaders from the health and development sectors of West African countries will convene in Accra, Ghana, for a four-day summit aimed at returning family planning to the forefront of national and regional development agendas in the West Africa region. The conference is being co-sponsored by USAID, WHO’s Africa Bureau, Action for West Africa Region-Reproductive Health, Advance Africa Project, and the POLICY Project, with help from key collaborators, including Ghana’s Ministry of Health, West African Health Organization, UNFPA, and International Planned Parenthood Federation. Read: Ghana News Agency
BHUTAN AND INDIA: Bhutan Queen Visit UNFPA Efforts in India
Xinhua General News Service reported February 6 that Bhutan's Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuk, a goodwill ambassador for UNFPA, is on a 12-day visit to learn more about the population policies and health program in India, which has the second largest population next to China. Princess Ashi Euphelma Choden Wangchuck is accompanying her mother during the visit. The queen is trying to get a clearer picture about UNFPA's support to family planning, safe motherhood, AIDS and its work among adolescents and women's empowerment groups in India, Indo- Asian News Service reported. Read: The Indian Express
BULGARIA: Funding to Improve Youth’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
Bulgaria News Agency reported February 2 that Vratsa in Northwestern Bulgaria will receive $120,000 from UNFPA under a project of the Health Ministry and the Science and Education Ministry aimed at improving youth's sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA Program Director in Bulgaria Marta Dyavolova said. Vratsa is one of the four pilot municipalities whose bids were approved for the implementation of the four-year project.
GABON: Ministry of Health Report on Illegal Abortion Rate Increase
Inter Press Service reported February 15 that according to statistics from Gabon’s Ministry of Health, clandestine abortions are thought to have accounted for 28.8 percent of all abortions that took place last year up from 25 percent in 2003, and 16 percent in 2001. A study conducted in 2003 indicated that 15 percent of women had at least one abortion. The story mentioned that while hundreds of women do survive illegal abortions, many find themselves left with medical conditions that include perforated uteruses, and even sterility. In a bid to fight this trend, the United Nations Population Fund has created health centers in certain parts of Libreville to give counseling on reproductive health to women and teenagers. Read: Inter Press Service
HONDURAS: Religious Leaders Support Use of Condoms
Diario Tiempo in San Pedro Sula reported February 17 that religious leaders from the Evangelical, Episcopalian, Catholic and Adventist churches met on February 16 in a religious forum for HIV/AIDS prevention, supported and organized by UNFPA. Both the representative of the Evangelical and Episcopalian churches said that they do not oppose the use of condoms, although they don’t promote it either. “The Episcopalian Church understands that if there is no abstinence, the use of condoms is the best way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, thus, we cannot oppose its use” said Fray Luis Santiago de la Dolorosa, echoing the words of his evangelical counterpart.
ETHIOPIA: Race Organized to Mark International Women’s Day
Exchange News Network (U.S.) reported February 12 that the Great Ethiopian Run organizers announced a five kilometer race in relation to the celebration of International Women's Day, the Amharic weekly Nation reported. The race, '2005 Confidence Women First', would be held on March 6, two days before the International Women's Day. DKT Ethiopia, Concern Ethiopia, UNFPA, Aqua Addis and Addis Ababa City Administration Women’s Affairs office will help organize the event, according to the newspaper. Read: Exchange News Network
JAMAICA: Women Urged to Protect Themselves against HIV/AIDS
The Observer (Jamaica) reported February 7 that Health Minister John Junor said, “Many married women are particularly vulnerable [to contract HIV] because they often believe they are safe but the realities have proven otherwise.” The story noted that the UNFPA State of World Population Report for 2004 unveiled this increasingly worrying trend in countries such as Tanzania and Cambodia. In Tanzania the rate of infection among sexually active unmarried women was lower than among 'married, monogamous young women', while in Cambodia new infections among married women more than quadrupled from 11% to 46%, disproportionately higher than among commercial sex workers. Read: The Observer
MADAGASCAR: UN Partnership to Reduce Widespread Poverty
IRIN reported February 14 that a recent cooperation agreement between three UN agencies and Madagascar, worth $101 million, is expected to improve the government's efforts to reduce widespread poverty. The partnership brings together UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA in a joint bid to tackle five key areas of concern in the impoverished island country. "The agreement will extend to 2009 and is very much in line with the broader objective of helping Madagascar achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. Therefore, food security, governance, improving education and health and, of course, fighting HIV/AIDS, are some of the main concerns," UNDP Country Representative, Bouri Sanhouidi, told IRIN. Madagascar has some of the world's worst social indicators, and UNFPA efforts would likely be channeled into improving reproductive health and access to primary healthcare. Read: IRIN
NAMIBIA: Outgoing President to Receive World Youth Award
The New Era (Namibia) reported February 14 that outgoing President Sam Nujoma will receive the World Youth Award (WYA) at the 14th general assembly scheduled for February 21 to 23. World Youth Assembly's Secretary General, Donald Charumbira, says Nujoma would be the first individual recipient of the World Youth Award, a decision made last year in June by the World Youth Assembly. UNFPA, as well as UNESCO and the private sector will sponsor the conference.
NIGERIA: EU and UN Agencies Help Fund Census
Panafrican News Agency reported February 14 that President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed gratitude the European Union for its financial assistance from the body and destined for Nigeria's population census due this year. The story mentioned that the EU funding represents 50 percent of the entire cost of the census. The EU support is being implemented in conjunction with UNDP and UNFPA. The Vanguard (Nigeria) also reported on this story on February 12.
NIGERIA: UNFPA to Hold Two-Week Effort on Fistula
This Day (Nigeria) reported February 6 that UNFPA has announced plans to undertake a two-week awareness initiative on the dangers of obstetric fistula in four states of the country. According to a release from the UN agency in Abuja, the "Fistula Fortnight" which will be held from February 21 to March 6 in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto States will raise an awareness that fistula is "both preventable and treatable and need not occur in the first place if all pregnant women have access to quality emergency obstetric care." As part of the exercise, hundreds of patients will have surgical treatment and rehabilitation care supervised by a team of Nigerian experts and international volunteers. Read: This Day: Feb. 6, Feb. 16, UN News Centre
OMAN: Officials Discuss Cooperative Efforts on Community Health and Social Development
Times of Oman reported February 16 that Dr. Sharifa bint Khalfan bin Nasser Al Yahyaeiah, Oman’s Social Development Minister, met with Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund. They discussed cooperation between the ministry and UNFPA, particularly in community health and social development fields. Read: Times of Oman
PALESTINE: UN Report on Women’s Rights and Health
IRNA (Iran) reported February 16 that Palestinian women are suffering massively from malnutrition, especially when they are pregnant and nursing, and have high rates of poverty as widowed heads of household, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a new report released at UN Headquarters in New York to a UN women’s rights panel. The story noted that delaying pregnant women at Israeli checkpoints has resulted in ‘women delivering their babies while waiting to pass, which has led to maternal and infant deaths’, the report says. These delays also negatively affected women’s access to family planning and obstetric care, UNFPA says. Read: UN News Centre
PHILIPPINES: Funding for Reproductive Health Projects
Manila Bulletin (Philippines) reported February 9 that UNFPA recently approved an estimated R1.4 billion ($26 million) to support reproductive health projects in the Philippines in the next five years, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said. Ambassador Lauro L. Baja Jr., Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, "The proposed program aims to improve the reproductive health of the people through better population management and sustainable human development." Baja said that aside from the Philippines, the UNPFA Executive Board also approved on a no-objection basis the country programs for Angola, Burundi, Madagascar, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Guatemala. Read: Manila Bulletin
SIERRA LEONE: Launch of the Provisional Census Results
Concord Times (Sierra Leone) reported February 9 that President Kabbah praised Statistics-Sierra Leone for carrying out the rigorous 2004 population and housing census. At the launch of provisional census results, the President noted the country hasn't had a national census since 1985. He said, "This is a clear manifestation of a tangible progress indicating that we have to move forward and face target development plans," adding that achievements made are due to support of UNFPA, EU and other partners to Statistics-Sierra Leone. UNFPA Representative, Mamodou Diallo noted the progress made by saying, "I believe Sierra Leone will get a fair healing in the human development index agenda."
TANZANIA: Goodwill Ambassador Advises Youth on HIV/AIDS Prevention
Daily News (Tanzania) reported February 16 that at press conference during her three-day working tour of Tanzania, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, Yuko Arimori, called on government authorities to advise people to value their lives by protecting themselves from HIV/AIDS infection. She said people, especially youth, should be enlightened on the pandemic so that they make responsible decisions on sexual relations. The Guardian (Tanzania) reported February 16 that UNFPA Resident Representative, Nicola Jones, as saying, “It is a great privilege for us that Arimori has been able to visit Tanzania and spend a day here in Dar es Salaam where she visited a UNFPA-supported project site.”
UNITED STATES: U.S. Funding for UNFPA
The Christian Science Monitor (U.S.) ran a February 14 letter by Jane Roberts, co-founder of 34 Million Friends of UNFPA responding to an article "For India's Daughters, a Dark Birth Day." Roberts wrote: “What is so mind-boggling about sex-selective abortion and infanticide is that women so devalue their own sex as to destroy their own kind. On a practical level, there is a way to fight this cultural and moral scourge. The United Nations Population Fund strives to bring a message of women's and girls' worth, equality, and rights, to the world, and yet the United States continues to withhold from UNFPA its yearly congressionally approved contribution – $34 million in 2004.”
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