UNFPA IN THE NEWS – JANUARY
28-FEBRUARY 3, 2006
BOLIVA: U.N. Relief Agencies Report on Aid
UN News Centre reported February 2 that to help the 175,000 Bolivians hit by severe flooding, U.N. relief agencies have provided a $30,000 cash grant to the Bolivian government while delivering food and nutritional supplements directly to families and children. The story also noted that about 400 households were relocated to five shelters managed by the national Civil Defense Commission, which has been coordinating relief efforts with UNICEF and UNFPA as well as NGOs. Read: UN News Centre
BOTSWANA: Health Ministry and UNFPA Working to Promote Male Involvement in Sexual and Reproductive Health
Daily News reported January 31 that the Minister of Health Sheila Tlou said her ministry, in collaboration with UNFPA, was promoting male involvement in sexual and reproductive health, the main objective being to increase male participation in sexual and reproductive health issues, especially in reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence and gender-based violence. Read: Daily News
CHINA: UNFPA Executive Board Approves Family Planning Funding
Agence France-Presse reported January 31 UNFPA's executive board had approved a $27 million dollar, five-year program for China to finance reproductive health activities and AIDS prevention. In a statement, 10 European countries – Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland – which provide most of UNFPA's funding stressed that in their view, "UNFPA's activities in China, as in the rest of the world, are in strict conformity with the unanimously adopted program of action of the ICPD (International Conference on Population and Development) and play a key role in supporting our common endeavor, the promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms." Read: UN News Centre
IRAN: Five-Year Country Plan Announced
IRNA reported January 28 that UNFPA Representative in Iran Mohammad Abdel-ahad announced a five-year country plan for Iran .
MALAYSIA: Media Seminar on Keeping Aging Population Active and Productive
The Star reported February 2 on that at a media seminar titled, “Active and Productive Ageing,” held in Kota Baru last December, Dr. Richard Leete, UNFPA representative for Malaysia, said two thirds of older persons (aged 60 and above) live in developing countries. Read: The Star
NIGERIA: Census to Reveal Nigeria to the World
Daily Champion reported January 29 that the international community is eager to receive the outcome of Nigeria 's census. UNFPA Chief Technical Adviser Dr. Jayant Bantia to said because Nigeria's population is unknown, the issue of planning and development in respect of the country is not guided by knowledge and certainty, adding, "it is really a mystery what the population of Nigeria is and so UNFPA is assisting not only the government of Nigeria, but the world community at large to get answers to this mystery." Read: Daily Champion: Jan. 28, Jan. 30, The Tide, The Vanguard
NIGERIA: Gender and Advocacy Sensitization Forum Held
Angola Press Agency reported January 29 that participants at a Lagos gender and advocacy sensitization forum, organized by the News Agency of Nigeria in collaboration with UNFPA, have challenged the media to help raise public awareness on reproductive health issues, gender equality and development, as well as undertake a sustained campaign against harmful cultural practices. At the forum, UNFPA Program Adviser, Fisan Bankale, announced: "Very soon, there will be large scale publicity on the female condom. It is an empowerment opportunity for women. In the past, it is difficult for women to negotiate sex. With the condom it's now possible for them to protect themselves.” Read: Angola Press Agency
PAKISTAN: Update on Humanitarian Efforts in Earthquake Hit Region
Business Recorder reported January 28 at a joint press conference to provide an update on the current situation in the earthquake areas, UNFPA Country Representative Dr. France Donnay and U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator to Pakistan Jan Vendemoortele said only the helicopters operating in the affected areas had been spending dollars $0.5 million per day. About 27 helicopters were taking part in the air operations, he added. He said the lack of doctors and basic health facilities were posing serious challenges on the health front and cases of respiratory infections, scabies and diarrhea were frequently reported. Dr. France Donnay said 90 percent of the deliveries were conducted at home due to the unavailability of female doctors which put both mothers and babies at risk.
PAKISTAN: International Parliamentarians Discuss HIV/AIDS
Daily Times reported January 31 that 20 parliamentarians from different parts of the world as well as 40 from Sindh Assembly, 25 from the Punjab Assembly, 12 from NWFP and 10 from Balochistan converged in the capital to talk about HIV/AIDS. At the seminar, Dr. France Donnay , UNFPA representative, said that 75 percent of HIV transmissions are sexually transmitted. Measures to improve reproductive health can have a direct and positive bearing on protecting women as well as children against the disease. Read: Daily Times
PAKISTAN: Study on Females in Earthquake-Hit Areas
Balochistan Times reported February 1 that Mercy Corps has initiated a study on females seeking health aid in some of the worst earthquake-hit areas of Siran and Konch valleys in the district of Mansehra. Dr. France Donnay of UNFPA said there are 80,000 pregnant women in the area and 7,000 births took place every month. Ninety percent of the deliveries are taking place without the help of skilled attendants.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: UNFPA Representative Advocates for Condoms in Clubs
PNG Post-Courier reported February 1 that while speaking at a parliamentary inquiry into Papua New Guinea 's entertainment industry, UNFPA Representative Duah Owusu-Sarfo said activities within the clubs must be monitored and condoms must be made available.
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Hunger Crisis
BBC News reported January 31 that t he U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that 27 sub-Saharan countries now need food aid from disasters brought about by drought or conflict in countries like Somalia , Malawi , Niger , Kenya and Zimbabwe . BBC News named population growth as one of the four major factors contributing to Africa 's hunger issues. The story cited UNFPA statistics: "Sub-Saharan Africa 's population has grown faster than any region over the past 30 years, despite the millions of deaths from the AIDS pandemic. Between 1975 and 2005, the population more than doubled, rising from 335 to 751 million, and is currently growing at a rate of 2.2% a year." Read: BBC News
UGANDA: UNDP and UNFPA Executive Board Approve Five-Year Program
The Monitor reported February 3 that UNDP and UNFPA have disbursed $62 million to scale up the fight against poverty, crisis prevention and recovery among other sectors. This announcement follows the recent launch of the agencies' five-year country program cycles approved by the executive boards that met in New York . Read: The Monitor
New Vision also reported February 2 on the UNDP and UNFPA funding announcement. Investment State Minister Semakula Kiwanuka, who headed the Ugandan delegation to New York , told a press conference at the Ministry of Finance offices in Kampala that UNDP would commit $32 million (sh58b), while UNFPA would commit $30 million (sh54.4b) for the five-year period. Read: New Vision
UGANDA: Health Officials Say Condom Supply Ample for 2006
The East African reported January 31 that Uganda health officials have ordered the procurement of enough condoms to create a buffer stock of 157 million condoms, enough to last up to the end of the year. The story noted that last year, eight million condoms were distributed by USAID, 5.3 million of them distributed to high-risk groups such as clinics that treat sexually transmitted infections, camps for internally displaced persons and commercial sex workers. 18 million condoms procured through UNFPA were made available at the medical stores in Entebbe . Read: East African
UGANDA: Birth Attendant in Kapchorwa Profiled
On January 30, New Vision profiled Margaret Mukung, a birth attendant in Kapchorwa. The story noted that Mukung was a self-trained birth attendant until 1993 when she went for training in Kapchorwa Hospital and graduated with a certificate. She also has another certificate from Reproductive Education and Community Health Project, an organization funded by UNFPA. For 10 years the body has been advocating for eradication of harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation while promoting cultural values and reproductive health services in Kapchorwa. Read: New Vision
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