UNFPA IN THE NEWS — AUGUST 12-25, 2006

XVI INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE IN TORONTO

At the closing of the16th International Conference on AIDS in Toronto, UNFPA drew attention to how HIV-positive pregnant women remain one of the most poorly served of all HIV-positive populations. “Despite the fact that the global HIV response is now awash in funding, pregnant women still don’t have access to the drugs that will prevent them from passing the virus on to their children,” said Arletty Pinel, chief of UNFPA’s reproductive health branch. Dr. Pinel added that HIV infection compounds the already existing problem of poor access to reproductive health care in general. “Today, we have a situation of hundreds of thousands of women dying in childbirth each year,” she said. “If we can’t even address the problem of women dying in childbirth, then it should come as no surprise that we are failing to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.” Read: UN News Centre

At the conference, experts said condoms aren't being used widely enough or sufficiently promoted to control the spread of the HIV virus. Bloomberg News reported August 17 that condoms are getting “short shrift,” according to Steve Kraus, chief of UNFPA's HIV/AIDS branch. “The conference is absolutely right to focus attention on prevention but the things being talked about don't even exist yet,” Kraus said. “If I had a billion dollars in my pocket I couldn't go and buy any of it right now. What we have today are condoms. People are being infected now.”

Bloomberg News also reported that David Smith, UNFPA’s head of procurement, said while global manufacturers have the capacity to supply the condoms needed, the problem is rather finding the funds to buy them. The cost of supplying a man with condoms would be between $5 and $10 a year depending on frequency of use, he said. This compares with the cost of at least $300 a year to treat someone infected with HIV, he said. UNFPA’s Steve Kraus said that condoms should be subsidized in countries where people are on the “verge of being able to afford them” and given free to the most vulnerable, risky populations. “If we can talk about free access to antiretroviral drugs, we've got to be able to talk about free access to condoms,” he said. “It's first things first. If we can't get condoms to those that need them, what are our chances of getting medicines or microbicides or vaccines to the people who need them?” Read: Bloomberg, UN News Centre, La Jornada

CIMAC NOTICIAS reported August 15 that according to Arletty Pinel, chief of UNFPA’s reproductive health branch, Latin America loses its leadership and opportunities to effectively prevent HIV/AIDS when it lets false morals get in the way. El Heraldo also quoted Pinel noting for the past 25 years, small countries continuously worked on HIV/AIDS policies and programs despite the lack of funds. Read: CIMAC NOTICIAS, El Heraldo

El Periodico reported August 16 that 50% of all newly HIV/AIDS infected in Central America are young people between the ages of 15 and 24. According to Laura Laski, UNFPA adolescent specialist, the fact that there are no exact data available on youth contamination rates in Central America poses one of the gravest obstacles to designing prevention strategies. Read: El Periodico

El Periodico reported August 18 that in Guatemala 17.5 million women are HIV-positive. Nadine Gusman, UNFPA representative in Guatemala, said although sex workers are by far the most affected by HIV/AIDS in Guatemala, women and young people are increasingly becoming the primary victims. Read: El Periodico

Health-e ran an August 21 column by Anso Thom who noted that even if prevention measures discussed at the international AIDS conference in Toronto work, “much work needs to be done to get them to the people who need them most.” Thom concluded: “The United Nations Population Fund warned that millions of people still lacked access to the most basic and available preventive method of all – the male and female condom.” Read: Health-e, Medpage Today

On August 24, Hour ran an opinion piece by M.J. Milloy that summed up the conference as “The Great Schism.” The column mentioned: “In some places it is not attitudes but money that is the problem. Only 10 billion condoms will be available in the countries with the worst AIDS outbreaks, according to the U.N. Population Fund, or only half the total need.” Read: Hour

The Globe and Mail ran an August 13 column by Stephanie Nolen who wrote about the “ridiculously easy” method of administering anti-retroviral drugs to HIV-infected mothers to prevent them from transmitting HIV to their babies. In her column, Nolen quoted Arletty Pinel, UNFPA’s chief of the reproductive health branch, who said the fact that more women don't get this service reflects the overall low priority put on maternal and reproductive health. These programs are almost universally minimally funded and minimally staffed, she said, and so it's no surprise that more women with HIV don't get the basic interventions. “Getting a pregnant woman who is HIV positive is remedial, it's damage control — and we don't do damage control well.” Read: The Globe and Mail

The Mercury in South Africa ran an op-ed by Mbonisi Zikhali on August 24, who wrote that women's rights are vital in the AIDS era. She quoted UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid as saying that unequal power relations, violence against women and less access to education are key reasons fuelling  the feminisation of the pandemic.  "Only 20% of young women (in the developing world) can correctly identify the ways to prevent HIV infection," she was quoted as saying. Read: The Mercury

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY OBSERVED

Afghanistan: Pajhwok Afghan News reported August 12 that UNFPA marked International Youth Day in Kabul by opening two youth counseling centers. At the opening, UNFPA Deputy Representative in Afghanistan Alain Sibenaler said the new centers were a real boost for Kabul’s youth. He said young men and women could take advantage of resources and training on HIV/AIDS prevention, family planning and reproductive health, as well as leadership and life skills. Read: Pajhwok Afghan News

Bangladesh: The New Nation reported August 13 that in observance of International Youth Day the Department of Population Sciences of Dhaka University, in cooperation with UNFPA and the Dhaka University Journalists' Association, organized a roundtable discussion on “Youth and Development.” The New Nation’s August 12 story noted that UNFPA Deputy Country Representative Dr. Pornchai Suchitta was among those in attendance.Read: The New Nation: Aug. 12,Aug. 13, Financial Express

Suriname: De Ware Tijd reported August 12 that in his International Youth Day message, Minister of Health Dr. Celcius Waterberg said, “Today we give careful thought to the new HIV infections among young people, access to information and education on sexual health and the access to care and treatment of HIV/AIDS infected young people.” The story mentioned that the newly founded Youth Advisory Panel (YAPSUR) will advise UNFPA on issues of sexual and reproductive health that affect young people.

Uzbekistan: UzReport.com reported August 15 that Uzbekistan marked International Youth Day for the first time this year. The story noted that UNFPA invited youth and volunteers of local projects to mark the event. Read: UzReport.com

Vietnam: Thanh Nien Daily reported August 12 that at a function held on International Youth Day, Jesper Morch, acting permanent coordinator of the United Nations in Vietnam, said Vietnamese youth lacked essential skills or information to live a decent and healthy life. The story noted that poor access to sex education had put youth at risk for unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. A recent survey by UNFPA found teenagers accounting for two-thirds of new HIV infections in Vietnam. Read: Thanh Nien Daily: Aug. 11, Aug. 12

VietnamNet Bridge reported August 14 that UNFPA Country Representative in Vietnam, Ian Howie, said UNFPA will closely cooperate with the Vietnamese government to provide reproductive health-related information for young people. Under the program, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Central Committee will work out a draft plan of action to implement the law on youth, as well as organize forums and talks to improve the young people's awareness of reproductive health and safe sex. Read: VietnamNet Bridge

BOLIVIA: International Experts Analyze Traditional Medicines

Hoy Bolivia reported August 18 that 200 delegates participated in a UNFPA-supported conference on traditional medicines and intercultural health. Read: Hoy Bolivia

HONDURAS: New Project Developed in Honduras against HIV/AIDS

CIMAC Noticias reported August 14 that the Honduran armed forces developed an HIV-prevention project funded by UNFPA. Read: CIMAC Noticias

INDIA: Investigation Continues on Fetal Remains

Asian News International reported August 12 on the recent discovery of infant bones found in a village well, only days after a similar discovery was made in Punjab – a region infamous for aborting girls despite a ban on sex-determination tests. The story cited a UNFPA report released last October that warned infanticide was driving India towards a gender imbalance with alarming social consequences. Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Pakistan and South Korea face similar problems, said UNFPA.

INDONESIA: Funding for Family Planning Announced

Antara reported August 13 that the U.S.-based Decentralization Health Services (DHS) provided Rp7.5 billion for West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to help the family planning program in the province. In addition to DHS’ funding, NTB also received similar assistance from UNFPA. The amount of funding remains to be decided.

JAPAN: Japan’s Declining Fertility Rate

The Nikkei Weekly ran an August 14 story on Japan’s declining fertility rate that currently stands at 1.25. The story noted that Japan was the 10th-most populated country in 2005 but will likely place below 20th in 2050, according to a global population estimates made by UNFPA.

KENYA: Adequate Government Funding for Reproductive Health Urged

The East African Standard reported August 21 that all the gains in the county’s reproductive health could be eroded if the government fails to provide adequate funding to the health sector. The story noted that the government has long relied on UNFPA, the World Bank and UNICEF for 90 percent of the county’s budget for reproductive health. UNFPA is scheduled to increase the supply of female condoms to 700,000.

KENYA: Violence against Women Program for Coastal Province

The Nation reported August 20 that women from the rural coastal province are participating in an 18-week session on protecting themselves and their children from rape and other abuses. The program, supported by UNFPA and organized by the Coastal Development Authority and the Federation of Kenya Women Lawyers, aims to educate women about their rights and equip them with strategies for dealing with abuse. The program also aims to shatter widespread misconceptions. Dr. Stephen Waynee, UNFPA’s assistant country representative, said, “Many rural folk are so removed from sources of information on what their rights are that they continue to innocently perpetuate tradition practices.”

LEBANON: Volunteers Continue Efforts after Ceasefire Brokered

The Daily Star reported August 17 that although the U.N. brokered an August 14 ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, relief volunteers decided to go on with their efforts for the next week or two. The story noted that volunteers worked to prepare 6,000 individual kits that will be sent out to people in the south under a project funded by UNFPA, the Swiss government and other donors. Read: The Daily Star, CNN

LEBANON: Post-Conflict Priorities and Challenges

IRIN ran an August 23 interview with U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator David Shearer who spoke about the priorities and challenges that lie ahead after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced. Shearer said: “At the moment, the agencies involved – the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, World Food Program, U.N. Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, U.N. Population Fund, U.N. Development Program and OCHA – are working on assessing the damage and sending aid out to people.” Read: IRIN

LEBANON: Health Facilities Lack Fuel and Generators

Asharq Alawsat ran a story on  August 18 about the joint U.N. needs assessment in the Bekaa' area in North Lebanon, where UNFPA  reported that health facilities lacked fuel and electric generators.  Read: Asharq Alawsat

NAMIBIA: Members of Parliament Visit the Oshikoto Region

NBC reported August 15 that members of Parliament visited the Oshikoto region in an effort to improve relations with the community and learn about gender issues. The parliamentarians were joined by staff from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF. Read: NBC

NIGERIA: Funding Announced for Borno State

The Daily Trust reported August 21 that during a press briefing, UNFPA Program Adviser in Borno State Dr. Benson Gabriel Ojile said UNFPA has committed N200 million to the state from 2003 to 2007. The story noted the Borno state government will contribute N49.7 million as its counterpart funding specified the 2003 memorandum of understanding.

NIGERIA: Reproductive Health Missing from the MDGs

The Tide’s August 13 story brought attention to the fact that sexual reproductive health and rights are missing from the MDGs. The story quoted UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, as saying, “The ability of women to control their own fertility is absolutely fundamental to women’s empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan for family, she can plan the rest of her life. When she is healthy, she can be more productive. And when her reproductive rights…are promoted and protected, she has freedom to participate more fully and equally in society. Reproductive rights are essential to women’s advancement.” Read: The Tide

NIGERIA: More Resources Urged for Vital Registration Project

This Day reported August 25 that at a stakeholders workshop, the National Population Commission (NPC) said poor funding is the main challenge facing the vital registration project that documents deaths and births to assess population growth and decline and to plan development projects. NPC Deputy Director of Vital Registration Chike Mezue said development partners like UNICEF and UNFPA should be encouraged to invest more resources in the program. Read: This Day

NIGERIA: NGOs to Assist in Improving Healthcare in Kano

The Daily Triumph reported August 25 that the Kano state commissioner for health, Dr. Sanda Muhammad, reaffirmed the ministry’s support for any non-governmental assistance in improving healthcare around the state. The story noted that a training will be held to enhance states’ Action Committees on AIDS (SACA). UNFPA Program Adviser in Katsina Malam Samaila B. Baba said the training will educate SACA on gender mainstreaming, particularly involving HIV/AIDS. Read: Daily Triumph

PACIFIC ISLANDS: U.N. to Expand Presence

Agence France-Presse August 24 that over the next year, the U.N. will expand its presence in the Pacific Islands by opening local offices in the Marshall Islands capital Majuro, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, said Najib Assifi, UNFPA’s representative for the Pacific who is based in Fiji. UNFPA, with UNDP and UNICEF, is taking the lead in establishing the offices in the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia. UNICEF is responsible for opening offices in Kiribati and Vanuatu, while UNDP will establish offices in Palau, Tuvalu and Nauru. Read: Xinhua General News Service

PAKISTAN: Hygiene Kits Distributed

Associated Press of Pakistan reported August 13 that in a bid to help prevent the spread of disease, UNHCR managing the quake-displaced people in Pakistan has just completed a campaign to promote better hygiene. As part of the campaign, UNHCR and its partner, Operation Heartbeat, distributed UNFPA hygiene kits containing towels, soap, bandages and liquid antiseptic.

PALESTINE: Financial Crisis Continues to Impact Health Care

WAFA reported August 14 that the WHO said the financial crisis facing the Palestinian National Authority continues to have an impact on the delivery of healthcare. The story noted that WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA are working to strengthen the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s information system on pharmaceuticals to allow to better monitor the flow for drugs and medical supplies to all health facilities and to track shortages and donors responses. Read: WAFA

PHILIPPINES: New UNFPA Representative

Health News and Views ran a column  August 15 by Dr.A.G. Romualdez in connection with the appointment of the new UNFPA country representative, Suneeta Mukherjee. The mission of UNFPA in the Philippines, Dr. Romualdez wrote,  is formidable. "With resources made meager by the non-support of a conservative Bush America, UNFPA must keep up the morale of population and development activists by supporting programs to improve the situation of poverty, gender, and reproductive health at the grass-roots level. Fortunately, despite the discouraging stand of a central government that relies on political support from Catholic extremists, there are individual government officials especially in local governments who continue to participate in activities such as the ones that UNFPA sponsors. These and allies in civil society are the major hope for keeping together the possibility that family planning will one day be a feasible option not just for the rich but also for the struggling masses of the poor."

SUDAN: Delegation Visits Nigeria for Insight on Conducting a Census

SUNA News Agency reported August 12 that a Sudanese delegation visited Nigeria to learn about Nigeria's experiences in its latest population census. Similar visits sponsored and organized by UNFPA were made to Yemen, Namibia and Tanzania before visiting Nigeria.

TANZANIA: Agreement Signed for Information Management System

The Guardian reported August 25 that UNICEF, UNFPA and UNESCO signed an agreement amounting to $712,390 as an initial contribution to start the 2006-2009 Education Information Management System. Read: The Guardian

UNITED STATES: U.S. Support for Family Planning Questioned

The Washington Post ran an August 19 letter by Allie Stickney, vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who wrote that in the August 11 Washington Post story: “Ellen R. Sauerbrey, President Bush's assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, claimed the United States supports the right of families to make their own decisions about the number of children they will have. It's too bad actions speak louder than words.” Stickney mentioned, “Since 2002, [President Bush] has withheld money from the United Nations Population Fund, an agency that supports the birth control services people need to prevent abortion and plan their families.” Read: The Washington Post

VIETNAM: Delegation Goes on a Fact-Finding Mission

Vietnam News Service reported August 21 that a delegation, consisting of UNFPA Representative Ian Howie and representatives from the Health Ministry, went on a fact-finding tour of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tien Giang. Officials examined reproductive health programs at the provincial Medical School, the Phu Thanh rural commune, the medical centre at Go Cong Tay District and the provincial Obstetrics Hospital. The delegation also presented equipment for training midwives and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Read: Vietnam News Service

WEST AFRICA: Women Ministers and Parliamentarians Take Part in Workshop

Xinhua General News Service reported August 21 that Anglophone African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians participated in a sub-regional training workshop in advocacy, leadership and resource mobilization to help them properly promote issues pertaining to population and development on the continent. The female ministers, who took part in the workshop organized by the Center for African Family Studies with funding from UNFPA, are also members of the Network of African Women Ministers and Members of Parliament. Read: Ghana News Agency, This Day

YEMEN: Conference for Young Leaders

Yemen Times reported August 12  that over 130 youth leaders from different governorates of the republic met in Mukalla city for five days with the theme “Hand by hand to build our country.” Organized by Youth Association for Development and Creativeness (YADC), the conference was funded and sponsored by the Ministry of Oil, the Local Council of Hadramout, Yemen LNG company, UNFPA, Canadian Nexen, KNOG and Schlumberger. Over five days the young leaders took part in workshops, plenary sessions, focus group discussions and field trips as well as panel discussions.
Read: Yemen Times

ZAMBIA: Teen Pregnancy Called a “Crisis”

Xinhua General News Service reported August 18 that UNFPA Representative in Zambia Deji Popoola said teenage pregnancy has become a crisis in Zambia. After returning from a trip to Zambia's Northwestern province where he visited rural schools and communities, Popoola said his findings were "shocking." He said, "Teenage pregnancy is a crisis and the government should pay attention to reproductive health needs of young people." He added UNFPA would promote information dissemination in rural areas to ultimately change the perception of the community. "We also need to let the girls and boys to realize that there are consequences of unprotected sex which include HIV/AIDS infection and pregnancies," he said. Read: Xinhua General News Service

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