UNFPA IN THE NEWS - SEPTEMBER 10-23, 2005

UN WORLD SUMMIT

UN News Centre reported September 15 that at an interactive round-table session on the second day of the World Summit, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, said women's empowerment and gender equality are at the heart of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious, internationally-agreed targets to reduce poverty and other ills by 2015. "Making the human rights of women and youth a priority will ensure progress for all," Obaid said. "Their health and well-being are critical to the success we are trying to achieve, she added, stressing also that greater investments need to be made in public health and public health systems in general, in developing countries. Read: UN News Centre

Family Planning and MDGs

Inter Press Service reported September 13 that when the MDGs were first conceived by the U.N., the world body failed to single out the importance of a crucial socioeconomic factor in battling poverty and hunger: population growth. Werner Fornos, president of Population Institute, said, "The omission of a direct reference to population and family planning in the U.N. Millennium Development Goals was not an oversight, but rather a deliberate calculation." Fornos warned, "None of these millennium goals will be achieved unless we accelerate efforts to reduce rapid population growth in the poorest countries of the world." Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, said: "I am confident our leaders will show that they have heard the experts, and, most importantly, the cry of the world's poor and vulnerable women, men and young people. I am confident that the largest gathering of world leaders in history will respond: We Hear You All." Obaid said: "We should come away from the 2005 World Summit emboldened to take more urgent action to promote access to reproductive health and to fight HIV/AIDS to save millions of lives from AIDS and maternal death." Read: Inter Press Service

ARMENIA: Areas of Cooperation Discussed

ARMINFO reported September 14 that in Washington, Armenia's Prime Minister, Andranik Margaryan, Executive Director of UNFPA, Thoraya Obaid, and Head of UNDP, Kemal Dervis, discussed areas of Armenia-UN cooperation. Obaid said that potentials of both Armenia and the UN make possible to realize much more large-scale programs in Armenia, especially in social sphere, in reproductive health, and in fight against AIDS.

BHUTAN: Layap Community at Risk of Contracting HIV

Keunsel (Bhutan) reported September 21 that the small Layap community of a little more than 800 people that live in the northern borders of remote Gasa dzongkhag are at enormous risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. UNFPA goodwill ambassador, Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, was scheduled to visit Gasa, Laya, and Lingshi on a two week advocacy campaign on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and drug abuse. Read: Keunsel

CAPE VERDE: U.N. Agencies Merge to Increase Capacity

PANA reported September 19 that UNICEF's regional director for Central and West Africa, Ezio Murzi, started a two-day visit to Cape Verde to assess the living standard of the people and see first hand how Cape Verdians live, especially women and children. The story noted that under the new arrangement, the four U.N. agencies operating in Cape Verde - UNDP, WFP, UNICEF and UNFPA - will now be merged into one single unit to ensure greater operational capacity. Read: PANA

EGYPT: Officials Discuss Childhood and Motherhood Plan

Infoprod reported September 12 that Ambassador Mushira Khattab, Secretary-General of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, met with representatives from UNICEF, UNESCO, ILO, FAO, UNDP, UNFPA, the World Bank, the U.N. Organization for Combating Crimes and Addiction and the European Union to discuss means of providing the technical and financial support for Egypt's childhood and motherhood plan.

GHANA: Orphans Care and Support Unlikely

A September 16 story by Ghanaian Chronicle reported that many orphans will never receive adequate care and support for schooling. The story mentioned that a report issued by a UNFPA/UNAIDS mission to six African countries, 'Strategic Options for HIV/AIDS Advocacy in Africa,' found a marked increase in the number of orphans under 15 years old and estimates the figure as 13.2 million worldwide, out of which about 95 percent live in Africa. Read: Ghanaian Chronicle

INDIA: Safer Injections

The Hindu (India) reported September 22 that 63% of injections in India are unsafe. The story noted that WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA had recommended that all countries use only auto-disable syringes in immunization programs starting from 2003. Read: The Hindu

INDIA: Female Feticide Continues

The Nation (Pakistan) reported September 17 that several UNFPA reports have informed the Indian government that female feticide still continues. According to UNFPA, the reason for the decline is "determination of the sex of the unborn child or fetus and eliminating the fetus when found to be female." UNFPA says 70 districts in 16 Indian states and Union Territories recorded more than a 50-point decline in the child-sex ratio in the last one decade.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Access to Reproductive Health Services "Significantly Impaired" for Pregnant Palestinians

Reuters reported September 22 that sixty-one women have given birth at Israeli checkpoints since 2000 due to delays in getting through the checkpoints, and 36 of their babies died as a result. Palestinians' access to medical facilities has been "significantly impaired" due to Israeli security procedures at checkpoints and its construction of a barrier in the West Bank, UNFPA said. Read: Reuters, BBC News

KENYA: Sponsorship to World Summit Clarified

The Nation (Kenya) reported September 18 that Kenyan officials clarified that not all of the 94 people on the delegation to the U.N. World Summit in New York were sponsored by the government. The Director of National Council of Population and Development, Dr. Richard Muga, said he and others had their expenses catered for by the UNFPA, Finland and the UNDP. Read: The Nation

KYRGYZSTAN: Maternal and Infant Mortality Rates Still High

IRIN reported September 22 that although falling in some areas of Kyrgyzstan, maternal and child mortality rates for the former Soviet republic of 5.1 million were still unacceptably high, especially in rural parts of the country. There have been successes in boosting maternal health in Kyrgyzstan. "The number of maternal mortality cases has started to decrease slowly because there has been better access to medical services and information on reproductive health issues in recent years," Cholpon Asanbaeva, UNFPA senior adviser, said. "We got equipment from UNFPA and were able to open a small maternity hospital, though during the winter it is still cold inside. Before, we had to go 35 km to get to the central district hospital," said Bahtiguil Chotorova, a midwife. The village is exceptional as it was fortunate enough to have been selected as a pilot for UNFPA program work. Read: IRIN

MALAYSIA: Poor People Have Less Access to Technology

Bernama reported September 21 that although technology, science and innovation are changing the shape of the world and boundaries, poor people rarely have direct access or benefits from them. Director and UNESCO representative at the U.N. agency's Jakarta Office for Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Professor Stephen C. Hill, said, "UNFPA estimated that by 2050, 4.2 billion people will be living in countries that cannot meet daily basic needs." Read: Bernama

MALAYSIA: Former UNFPA Staff

New Straits Times (Malaysia) featured a September 18 story on U.N. Resident Representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Dr. Richard Leete who works on resolving conflicts in trouble spots. The story noted that Leete joined UNFPA in 1996 before moving on to UNDP in 2003. Read: New Straits Times

MOZAMBIQUE: Swedish Minister Visits Youth and Adolescent Health Center

Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique reported September 22 that Swedish Development Cooperation Minister, Carin Jamtin, visited the sexual and reproductive health center for adolescents and youth in the Maputo province. The Swedish government has contributed about $6 million through UNFPA. Read: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique

NEPAL: UNFPA to Help Women in Conflict Areas

Xinhua General News Service reported September 14 that UNFPA plans to raise funds from the international community mainly to address women's reproductive health issues in conflict areas of Nepal. William Ryan, UNFPA regional information officer of the Asia and Pacific Region, Nepal is undergoing a "slow tsunami" due to the ongoing conflict, which has displaced people and complicated health issues further. Reproductive health issues must be addressed without focusing on family planning as a separate issue, Ryan added. "Nepal has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Asia," said Junko Sazaki, UNFPA representative. "We should focus on bringing down the maternal mortality rate in the country," Sazaki said. Read: Kanipur (Nepal)

NEPAL: Country Work with United Nations

Rising Nepal's September 12 story highlighted the country's work with the U.N. The story noted various U.N. bodies such the FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNFPA, UNHCR, World Bank and International Monetary Fund are currently conducting various programs in Nepal. Read: The Rising Nepal

NIGERIA: Repairing Fistula

Reuters reported September 10 that getting the message of hope across to the estimated 400,000 to 800,000 women suffering from fistula in Nigeria is difficult. Last February a two-week effort called "Fistula Fortnight," sponsored by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, trained more than 100 health workers in fistula treatment, and teamed up local and foreign doctors to operate on 545 women. Read: Reuters

NIGERIA: Officials Briefed on South-South Activities

This Day (Nigeria) reported September 13 that the Chief Economic Adviser to the President and Chief Executive of National Planning Corporation, Prof. Ode Ojowu, said Nigerian stakeholders were briefed on south-south activities of partners in population and development. Representatives from USAID, DFID, WHO, EU, UNFPA, including the Chinese and French embassy attended the conference. Read: This Day

NIGERIA: Census Rescheduled

This Day (Nigeria) reported September 22 that Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo announced that the national population and housing census billed for November, has been moved to between March 21 and 25, 2006. Members of Obasanjo's advisory committee would include Vice President Atiku Abubakar as Vice Chairman, the Ministers of Finance, Communications, the Economic Adviser to the President, Chief of Defence Staff, Chairmen of the NPC, ICPC and representatives of the UNDP, EU, UNDP, USAID and UNFPA. Read: This Day

PACIFIC REGION: Project to Improve Men's Roles in Reproductive Health

Fiji Times reported September 21 that ILO and UNFPA launched a 10-month pilot project to improve men's roles in reproductive health. UNFPA representative, Najib Assifi, said, "The objective is to promote gender equality in all spheres of life, and to encourage men to take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive behaviour and their social and family roles." Read: Fiji Times

PAKISTAN: Health Budget Increase Announced

Pak Tribune (Pakistan) reported September 20 that while talking with a 3-member UNFPA delegation led by Country Representative, Dr. France Donnay, Federal Minister for Health, Muhammad Nasir Khan, said the Pakistan government had taken steps to provide better health care to the people saying that health budget had been increased to control spreading of fatal diseases in the country. Read: Pak Tribune

PAKISTAN: Discussions on Benefiting Neglected Segments

Associated Press of Pakistan reported September 11 that President Azad Jammu and Kashmir [AJK, Pakistan-administered Kashmir] Sardar Mohammad Anwar Khan said comprehensive and stable policies must be adopted that could benefit the neglected segments of the society. The delegations in attendance were headed by the representative in Pakistan of UNFPA, Dr. France Donnay, and the representative of European Union in Pakistan, Micheal Dealay.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Slow but Steady Progress Reported

The Solomon Star reported September 20 that the Solomon Islands has made slow but steady improvements in its reproductive health indicators however its contraceptive prevalence rates remain low, according to CST Adviser, Dr. Annette Sachs Robertson, who is currently co-facilitating a National Family Planning workshop in Honiara. Read: Solomon Star

SOUTH ASIA: Earthquake Hits South Asia

United News of Bangladesh reported September 18 that as two long-range earthquakes swept through South Asia, Tahera Ahmed, Assistant Representative of UNFPA, said panicked U.N. staff members rushed down to ground floor from its offices at IDB Bhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Read: United News of Bangladesh

TUNISIA: Program on Adolescent Reproductive Health

Al-Bawaba reported September 22 that representatives of several Mediterranean and European countries gathered at a UNFPA-organized workshop to develop a global program to educate teens on adolescent reproductive health. Read: Al-Bawaba

UGANDA: Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Worries about Internally Displaced Persons

The Daily Monitor (Uganda) reported September 21 that the outgoing U.S. Ambassador, Jimmy Kolker, has said the deaths among internally displaced persons in camps in northern Uganda are still worrying. A recent health and mortality survey conducted by Unicef, WHO, WFP, UNPF, International Rescue Committee and the UK Department for International Development in IDP camps in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts January-July this year shows that up to 1,000 people die weekly from disease and hunger in the camps. Read: Daily Monitor

UGANDA: Museveni Meets with Obaid

The Daily Monitor (Uganda) reported September 19 that President Yoweri Museveni has assured New York investors of political and economic stability in Uganda. Museveni also had discussions with the Executive Director UNFPA, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, who thanked him for Uganda's cooperation with her organization. Obaid commended Museveni for his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Museveni and Obaid also discussed issues pertaining to behavioral change among young people, maternal health and community health care extension services. Read: Daily Monitor

UGANDA: Editorial Criticizes Emergency Response

The Monitor (Uganda) September 12 editorial criticizing the Ugandan government's record in responding to disasters closer to home mentioned: "Four UN agencies - World Health organization, United Nations Children's Fund, World Food Program, and United Nations Population Fund, Britain's Department for International Development, and the International Rescue Committee recently published the numbers in a health and mortality survey carried out in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum, and Pader, whose residents mostly live in what are in effect deadly concentration camps." Read: The Monitor

UNITED KINGDOM: Crackdown on Forced Marriages

A September 11 story by The Sunday Express (U.K.) on the U.K. government's crackdown on forced marriages mentioned UNFPA estimates that 5,000 women and girls are murdered by family members each year in honor killings.

UNITED STATES: U.S. Funding for UNFPA Denied for Fourth Year

Associated Press reported September 16 that for the fourth consecutive year, the Bush administration has decided to withhold funding from UNFPA, saying the agency contributes to China's "coercive abortion" program. Executive director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, called the decision disheartening and said one goal of the fund is to get women to use voluntary family planning to avoid abortion. The decision drew fire from several House Democrats. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., a leader in the fight to resume the U.S. contribution, said President Bush's "extreme right-wing base" is dictating the policy, causing hardship for women and children in the world's neediest nations. Rep. Nita Lowey, another New York Democrat, called the decision "a blow to our efforts to improve women's health around the world." The fund "works hard to end coercion by proving the efficacy and superiority of the voluntary approach to family planning over any other alternative," Obaid said. Read: Associated Press, Press Trust of India

Inter Press Service reported September 16 that as in previous years, both UNFPA and U.S. population groups denounced Bush's decision, particularly coming as it did in the same week that Bush delivered a relatively conciliatory speech to the U.N. General Assembly stressing his administration's support for the Millennium Development Goals, which include drastically reducing maternal mortality. "A U.S. decision to restore funding to UNFPA would have been a swift and concrete indication to the rest of the world that the reality of U.S. policy now matches U.S. rhetoric," stated a letter sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by the directors of 21 U.S. population, environmental and church groups. Obaid called Bush's decision "regrettable" and rejected the State Department's rationale. "This decision is disheartening because it contradicts clear evidence that UNFPA works hard to end coercion by proving the efficacy and superiority of the voluntary approach to family planning over any other alternative." Read: Inter Press Service

Seattle Post-Intelligencer (U.S.) September 23 editorial noted: "Despite years of efforts by China's government, some local officials still force sterilizations or abortions on women who have had two children. But it's questionable how denying money for the Population Fund will do much to speed Chinese reforms." Read: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sarasota Herald Tribune (U.S.) September 20 editorial urged: "Depriving the UNFPA of $34 million thwarts the agency and the work it is trying to do. The U.S. money reportedly will be transferred into accounts that fund similar programs under the aegis of the Department of State, but more people would be helped if the dollars went to the UNFPA. We've said it before, but it bears repeating: The goals of the UNFPA deserve support from the U.S. government and individual citizens." Read: Sarasota Herald Tribune

The Day (U.S.) September 20 editorial concluded: "The Bush administration is withholding the money anyway, thus making the U.S. the only country in the 36-year-history of the U.N. Population Fund to deny contributions on any but financial grounds. Three hundred million poor women suffer from short-term and long term illnesses related to giving birth. About 500,000 die every year. Thousands need access to birth control and HIV prevention. The need for contraception and health care for the poor is urgent. That's why 166 nations, virtually every country on Earth, make contributions to this fund. Except the U.S., of course. To its shame, the White House would rather put ideology ahead of saving lives." Read: The Day

The Charleston Gazette (U.S.) ran a September 18 column by Susanna Rodell who wrote: "In a week where President Bush worked hard to rescue his own political reputation, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly, offering the usual boilerplate sentiments but offering very little to back them up." Rodell added: "Nice sentiments - but unconvincing when compared to the administration's actions. On Thursday, for the fourth year in a row, the White House announced it was blocking all of the $34 million Congress has approved for the United Nations Population Fund. This body is one of the most efficient organizations in the campaign against global AIDS. Its efforts in maternal and child health are key components of any global anti-poverty crusade. This ridiculous action, taken for transparently political reasons, has lost any shred of a rationale." Read: Charleston Gazette

A September 17 op ed by Kerry Kennedy of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights that ran in /The Los Angeles Times/ noted that: "We should fully back the U.N. fund. In China, it is the only agency promoting voluntary family planning and upholding these human rights. Just because it operates in China does not make it complicit in human rights violations, as its critics have charged." Kennedy concluded: "I take a back seat to no one in my horror at China's abuses in its one-child policy. To end them, we must support many efforts, and that includes the U.N. Population Fund." Read: Los Angeles Times

Press-Enterprise (U.S.) ran a September 19 op ed by Jane Roberts, co-founder of 34 Million Friends of UNFPA, who wrote: "On the final day of the World Summit at the United Nations on Friday, the Bush administration chose to announce that for the fourth year in a row, it refuses to release the $ 34 million Congress had allocated for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)." Roberts concluded: "We Americans must take a stand for the women and girls of the world. They must have equal access to food, education, health care and the ability to choose the number and spacing of their children." Read: Press-Enterprise

University Daily (Texas Tech, U.S.) ran a September 21 column by James Hershberger who noted: "During Clinton's administration, the U.S. Congress donated $34 million each year to the U.N. Population Fund, a branch of the U.N. that distributes contraceptives and provides safe-sex education to poor countries. Since George W. Bush took office, the U.S. has not donated the money." He added: "This information should be a shock to any genuine supporter of the pro-life movement. The president and his staff claim to be against abortion, but, when their ideas are implemented, the exact opposite of what they said would happen occurs."

VIETNAM: Achieving Fertility Rate Debatable

Vietnam News Service reported September 13 that Vietnam Commission for Population, Family and Children, deputy chairman Nguyen Thien Truong, said that Vietnam's failure to reach the year-end fertility rate goal means that the target is now unlikely to be hit before 2010. UNFPA representative of Vietnam, Ian Howie, seemed optimistic about Viet Nam's birth rate continuing its downward trend although he did not give a direct answer as to whether fertility replacement could be achieved by 2010. "I think that it may be a point of academic debate whether they reach it this year or next year or the following year," he said. Read: Vietnam News Service

ZIMBABWE: Central Statistical Office Launches Zimdat

The Herald (Zimbabwe) reported September 22 that Zimbabwe's Central Statistical Office launched the Zimbabwe Statistics Database (Zimdat), a system that stores a range of demographic, socioeconomic and environmental indicators. U.N. representatives from UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP that provided assistance constructing the database hailed its launch saying it would increase access to information at all levels. Read: The Herald

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