8th AFPPD General Assembly, Jakarta, Indonesia
Culture and Religion
Matter
To succeed in achieving the MDGs & RH,
parliamentarians must take into account culture and religion
A few months away from reaching its 25th year of engaging parliamentarians, the 8th General Assembly of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) celebrated the accomplishments under outgoing chairman, Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP (Japan), and ushered in its silver jubilee under new leadership.
Over 130 parliamentarians, from Asia, the Pacific, and Central Asia, attended the 8th triennial AFPPD General Assembly, held from November 12 to 13, 2005, in Jakarta, Indonesia, jointly organized by AFPPD, Indonesian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IFPPD), and Parliament of Indonesia, in cooperation with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Government of Japan.
The meeting revolved around the theme of “Population and Reproductive Health: Culture and Religion Matters”.
H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President, Republic of Indonesia
H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, presided over the opening ceremony of the General Assembly at the Indonesian Parliament, on November 12, 2005.
As one of the world leaders at the UN World Summit in New York last September, he stressed that parliamentarians had a pivotal role in mankind’s effort to maintain focus and momentum to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
He also noted that the AFPPD General Assembly would continue to be a platform where the progress on population and development issues were discussed in line with the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.
The Indonesian President said that the population and development strategy must be rooted in cultural and religious values and bound to promote opportunity and equality. “That is also why I believe, no matter what is our political system or economic model, no matter what kind of natural resources we have, no matter what is our historical background, the most important thing we can possibly invest in is in education and health. It is a very simple, and proven formula for progress. Investing in people. You cannot go wrong with this,” he told the parliamentarians.
Dr. Thoraya A. Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA
In her statement, Dr. Thoraya A. Obaid, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNFPA, called on the parliamentarians to be one of the major forces in turning the world leaders’ pledge at the World Summit into concrete action as the leaders committed themselves to achieving universal access to reproductive health by 2015, as set out at the ICPD, integrating this goal into national strategies to attain the MDGs, eliminating gender discrimination and violence, and promoting women’s rights. She emphasized that culture and religion had an important role in understanding the MDGs and meeting the MDGs as reproductive health, women’s empowerment, and gender equality were culturally sensitive issues. “We need to identify the positive cultural values and religious interpretations which would facilitate moving forward in the promotion of human rights, including the right to reproductive health,” she said.
Dr. Obaid noted that a 2004 UNFPA global survey on the progress of ICPD Programme of Action, in which 152 countries responded, indicated that most countries considered cultural factors to be a constraint in implementing the Cairo Programme of Action for gender equality, reproductive health and rights, adolescent reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS. The survey demonstrated that such negative factors included taboo on talking about sexual health, patriarchal and male-centered attitudes, stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS, certain practices related to marriage, prenatal sex selection, and female infanticide, she added. Since several countries in Asia were lagging behind in terms of investing in reproductive health, Dr. Obaid also urged the parliamentarians to promote legislation on gender equality and women’s rights, and reproductive health and rights. “You can bridge the gap between the sensitivity of cultural practices and religious interpretations and issues of population and reproductive health through the legislation you adopt and the budgets you allocate,” she said.
Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP (Japan) and AFPPD Chairman
Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP (Japan) and AFPPD Chairman, said that the General Assembly would serve as a platform for parliamentarians to discuss the future direction of population policy in the region. He called upon parliamentarians to take concrete steps to bring population and reproductive health issues to the forefront of national agenda. Mrs. Hj. Aisyah Hamid Baidlowi, MP (Indonesia) and IFPPD Chairperson, raised important points for parliamentarians working on population and development-related issues.
She said that culture and religion were the backbone of the discussions on population policy in which parliamentarians must be accountable to their constituencies and include women and youth in the discussions so that the Asia-Pacific region could confront the faces of HIV/AIDS and maternal and infant mortality. Mr. Agung Laksono, Speaker of the Parliament of Indonesia addressed the parliamentarians and Mr. Tosari Widjaya, Chief of the Organizing Committee delivered a vote of thanks.
Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director, APD, UNFPA
Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director, Asia-Pacific Division, UNFPA, gave a keynote address that accentuated the relevance of parliamentary advocacy on population and development. He said the development of AFPPD and other regional parliamentary groups championed the ICPD, the MDGs and other population and development issues. He also stressed that the focus for population policy in Asia and the Pacific had shifted from population increase and size to population distribution and structure which encompass various aspects of population and development. Mr. Aziz also noted three issues to which parliamentarians in the region should pay attention. These issues included women’s representation and political participation; the support for the advancement of ICPD and the MDGs from elected representatives at every level; and the participation of young people.
Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, MP (Japan) and new AFPPD Chairman
At the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), the General Assembly continued with the same vigor. Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, Chairman of AFPPD, introduced Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, MP and former Chief Cabinet Secretary (Japan), to the General Assembly, as new AFPPD Chairman. Mr. Fukuda said he was honored to assume the leadership of the regional parliamentary forum as he took part in population and development for several years. Mr. Fukuda mentioned that the efforts in population and development, to solve population problems through tackling reproductive health and women’s empowerment, have the same spirit as the Fukuda Doctrine, the foreign policy under his father, former Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Takeo Fukuda, as it was also focused on individuals.
Mr. Jyoti Shankar Singh, former UNFPA Deputy Executive Director
The session on MDG+5 summit and future implications was chaired by Dr. Sang Guowei, MP (China) and Vice-Chairperson of AFPPD, Mr. Jyoti Shankar Singh, former UNFPA Deputy Executive Director and Permanent Observer of the Partners in Population and Development to the UN, said that although progress was made towards achieving some of the goals and targets in the ICPD and MDGs, a great deal remained to be done in the next ten years, especially greater mobilization of additional resources. Mr. Singh said that more than 120 million couples still lacked access to reproductive health commodities and services although the broad concept of reproductive health had been incorporated into the primary health care management in several countries. He also noted that almost five billion dollars were being provided annually by the donors for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS but it was less than half of the amount needed.
HIV/AIDS in the Region
Ms. Praneet Kaur, MP (India), chaired the session on HIV/AIDS in the region. Ms. Teresita Marie P. Bagasao, Manager, APLF, UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and Pacific, spoke on “Leadership on HIV/AIDS: Response to Epidemic in Asia Pacific”. She said that the outreach for each vulnerable group in the region and health care coverage for people living with HIV/AIDS were still poor. This happened against a backdrop of lack of leadership and commitment, resource gaps, and decreasing budgets, she said. Ms. Bagasao urged the parliamentarians to support action programmes based on solid scientific evidence, influence the budget decisions, work with civil society and be a voice and a model of leadership.
Mr. Jon Ungphakorn, Senator (Thailand) and the Recipient of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award
Mr. Jon Ungphakorn, Senator (Thailand) and the recipient of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award, spoke on “HIV/AIDS in the Region and Political Commitment”. He started by giving an overview of the HIV/AIDS situation in Asia in which 8.2 people are living with HIV/AIDS, adding that 12 million additional infections are predicted over the next five years if no concerted prevention and treatment campaigns take place. He also called on fellow parliamentarians to assess the HIV/AIDS situation, work with civil society, fund HIV/AIDS programmes, protect the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, and support children living with HIV/AIDS. Mr. Ungphakorn also highlighted the importance of harm-reduction programmes and sex education.
Women’s Participation in Political Life
This session was chaired by Ms. Steve Chadwick, MP (New Zealand), Prof. Smita Notosusanto, a well-known political scientist from University of Indonesia, gave a presentation on “Why Politics Matter for Women and Why Women Matter in Politics in Indonesia”. She said Indonesian women, now underrepresented at all levels, needed to occupy decision-making positions in state institutions at every level to help determine the shape of policies on women and children. Ms. Yukiko Oda, Chief Researcher, Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women, spoke on the change at the political level for women’s participation in the political life in Asia Pacific. She gave an overview of the ways in which women’s participation in politics has been achieved and identified the challenges ahead. Ms. Sumie Ishii, Executive Director, Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP), delivered a message from Dr. Steven W. Sinding, Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), London, during the dinner reception. Chaired by Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP (Japan) and AFPPD Chairman, the second day of the General Assembly started with the presentation of the report of AFPPD activities from 2002 to 2005 by Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit, Senator (Thailand) and Secretary-General of AFPPD. Mr. K. S. Seetharam, external consultant, provided an evaluation of the activities of AFPPD and the national committees. His key recommendations included the development of a four to five-year action plan involving all stakeholders, improvementiin staff skills through more trainings and increased budget, targeted support for those national committees that lag behind, improving follow-up by AFPPD, enhancing linkages with UNFPA country programmes, and strengthening the monitoring role of national committees. The national committees presented their activity reports that highlighted the impact of their activities and their future direction. Dr. Prasop Ratanakorn, President of Statesman Foundation and Secretary-General of International Medical Parliamentarians’ Organization (IMPO) spoke at the luncheon which was hosted by Prof. Dr. Alwi Shihab, Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare, Indonesia. Apart from reports on AFPPD financial statement, estimate of resources, and future direction, the General Assembly also adopted a declaration of commitment for action, entitled “Jakarta Declaration of Commitment for Action to Further Advance the Goals of the ICPD Programme of Action and the MDGs”. The Executive Committee Meeting of the newly elected officers also took place.
56th AFPPD Executive Commitee Meeting: New Office Bearers
The 56th Meeting of the AFPPD Executive Committee which met on November 11, 2005, elected Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, MP and former Chief Cabinet Secretary (Japan), to be its new chairman, replacing Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP (Japan), AFPPD Chairman for the past five years. Other distinguished parliamentarians were also elected to the office.
3rd APCRSH
Parliamentarians’ Policy Dialogue
and Encounter with Young People at 3rd APCRSH
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) organized a parliamentarians’ panel discussion and poster exhibition at the the third Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health (APCRSH), held from November 17 to 21, 2005, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
At the panel discussion, entitled “Policy Dialogue with Parliamentarians”, on November 20, 2005, Dr. M.A. Matin, MP, Bangladesh, Ms. Chieko Nohno, MP, Japan, Dr. H. Hakim Sorimuda Pohan, MP, Indonesia, and Dr. Tan Kee Kwong, MP, Malaysia, exchanged their views on the state of population and reproductive health policy in Asia and the Pacific. They provided an insight into the population and reproductive health situation in their own countries. The session was chaired by Rep. J.R. Nereus O. Acosta, from the Philippines, who also spoke in another plenary session on the impact that the media, legislators, and society have on sexual reproductive health and rights. The session on policy dialogue with parliamentarians was strategically designed to include advocacy through youth initiatives and how parliamentarians can proactively advocate for greater political commitment and resources for the realization of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.
PPAP Poster Exhibition
The AFPPD poster exhibition showcased the information from AFPPD’s innovative Person-to-Person Advocacy Project (PPAP) in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The PPAP, supported by the Hewlett Foundation, met majority of parliamentarians and elected representatives to have one-to-one discussion on population and development issues to seek their opinion, assess their level of knowledge, and provide more information. The theme of the third APCRSH is, “Expanded and Comprehensive Response in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All Communities”, with the sub-themes on taking stocks of sexual and reproductive health, challenges and emerging issues of sexual and reproductive health, sharing best practices in sexual and reproductive health, and comprehensive outreach for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP) conducted a skills-building and empowerment workshop, organized by young people under its Movah! project, under the title of “Delivering Voices of Young People at the Grassroots to Policy and Decision Makers.” The youth participants acted out a drama explaining the process of collecting the voices in front of the MPs from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Japan. This highlighted some of the difficulties the youth have in talking about sex and sexuality education. They then conducted a practice advocacy session to the MPs using the newly developed Movah! advocacy kit and received feedback from the MPs. The third APCRSH was opened by YB Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Malaysia. Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Hj. Mohd Ali, Patron of the Conference, delivered a keynote address. Dr. Thoraya A. Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA, and Dr. Steven W. Sinding, Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), gave statements at the opening ceremony. It was organized by Federation of Family Planning Associations, Malaysia, and IPPF - ESEAOR.
UNFPA Inter-Divisional Meeting
UNFPA Partnership with Parliamentary Groups
Strategy to Enhance Political Commitment Discussed
Geographical divisions of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had a one-day meeting with executives from international and regional parliamentary groups working on population and development-related issues at the UNFPA headquarters in New York, on November 29, 2005, to have a discussion and chart the strategy to enhance political commitment for the implementation of ICPD Programme of Action.
Ms. Imelda Henkin, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, delivered opening remarks. Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director, IERD, UNFPA, welcomed the participants. Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director, Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), Mr. Joseph Atiku, Executive Director, Forum of African and Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAAPPD), Ms. Carla Riviera-Avni, Executive Coordinator, Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (IAPG), Mr. Neil Datta, Inter-European Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IEPFPD), Ms. Shazia Rafi, Secretary-General, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), and Ms. Camellia Rodriguez-SackByrne, Programme Officer, PGA, represented the regional and international parliamentary groups at the meeting. Among the those attended and contributed to the process were Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director, Asia Pacific Division (APD), UNFPA,
Mr. Satish Mehra, Senior Programme Adviser, APD,Ms. Shahana Chattaraj, Programme Specialist, APD, Ms. Kwabena Osei-Danquah, IERD, Ms. Noemi Espinoza, IERD, Mr. Jean-Noel Wetterwald, Chief, Resource Mobilization Branch/ IERD, Ms. Kae Ishikawa, , IERD, Ms. Harumi Kodama, Parliamentary/NGO Public Affairs Officer, IERD, Ms. Ragaa Said, Public Affairs Associate, IERD, and Ms. Kiyoko Ikegami, Director, UNFPA Tokyo Office, Ms. Heidi Jemiai, Director, Brussels Office, Mr. Erik Palstra, OIC, Geneva Office, Mr. Asger Ryhl, Chief, Copenhagen Office, Ms. Sarah Craven, Chief, Washington Office, Mr. Fama Ba, Director, Africa Division (AD), Ms. Keita Ohashi, Programme Specialist, AD, Ms. Samira Atallah, Regional Programme Coordinator, Division of Arab States and Europe, Ms. Marisela Padron, Director, Latin America and Carribean Division, Mr. Francois Farah, Chief, Population and Development Branch/TSD, and Mr. Jagdish Upadhyay, Chief, Community Management Branch/TSD.
One of the main purposes of the meeting was to review the progress made by UNFPA and its partners in promoting partnerships with parliamentarians, identify lessons learned, and formulate a common strategy. The participants from regional parliamentary groups made presentations on their organizations’ achievements and future directions. They also discussed plans to effectively organize the third IPCI/ICPD to be held from November 21 to 22, 2006, in Bangkok, Thailand.
AFPPD Focus Group Meeting
2nd Focus Group Meeting: HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence
Parliamentarians Commit to Working on HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence
On December 17 and 18, 2005, Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (VAPPD), organized its second focus group meeting, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS and domestic violence, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Twenty parliamentarians attended the meeting from ten countries in the Asia-Pacific region and there were resource persons from UNFPA, UNIFEM, and the Ministry of Health of Vietnam. The focus group, which was an effort to bring together a small group of parliamentarians to discuss the implications of HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence, was a great success. They were able to have intense discussions on the issues, asking questions and sharing views and experiences. A study visit to an HIV/AIDS centre and a movie presentation on domestic violence were arranged as part of the programme.
Hon. Nguyen Phuc Thanh, MP (Vietnam) and Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Vietnam, opened the focus group and Mme. Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, MP (Vietnam), Chairperson of VAPPD, and Vice Chairperson of AFPPD, and Mr. Ian Howie, UNFPA Country Representative to Vietnam, gave remarks. The meeting allowed the parliamentarians to have a more in-depth understanding of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. The first day was dedicated to the issue of HIV/AIDS. The first presentation given by Dr. Chaiyos Kunanusont, HIV/AIDS/STI Adviser, UNFPA/CST, explained the current situation of HIV/AIDS in Asia, how serious the epidemic is in the region, how there is lack of resources and programme coverage. He pointed out the need for political commitment as a key factor in contributing to the success of HIV/AIDS programmes and the increased involvement of community and civil society. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy Director- General, Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, then talked about policy and law on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. He discussed the role of policy and legal framework in HIV/AIDS prevention, reiterating that, to have a successful HIV/AIDS prevention programme, the proper policies need to be established. He linked policy and its effect on harm-reduction and intervention programmes. Dr. Nguyen cited Vietnam as a case study. Dr. Le Van Dieu, MP (Vietnam) and Vice-Chairperson of VAPPD, gave the last presentation on HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, and HIV/AIDS prevention theory with Vietnam as a pilot project. He cited models that were used and success of the project in some high-risk areas. the parliamentarians participating in the focus group meeting were then on a study visit to a community counseling and support centre in Ho Chi Minh City that provides service to people living with HIV/AIDS.
The second day’s focus was on domestic violence. Mr. Ian Howie, UNFPA Country Representative to Vietnam, began with a brief introduction of domestic violence and UNFPA’s programmes. Ms. Motoko Seko, Programme Specialist, Gender and HIV/AIDS, UNIFEM ESEAO, then proceeded to give a presentation on the causes of domestic violence, outlining the different kinds of domestic violence and the factors that contribute to domestic violence. She ended by asking parliamentarians to create an environment in which women can live without violence and domestic violence is a health, legal, economic, educational, development as well as human-rights issue. The next session by Mme. Tran Thi Minh Chanh, MP (Vietnam), focused on legislation on domestic violence in Vietnam and how the country is developing its bill on domestic violence. She discussed some challenges such as finding support from parliamentarians, especially male MPs, and how they fine-tuned it to the cultural and social conditions of Vietnam. After lunch, a movie on gender-based violence was shown, allowing the parliamentarians to have a real grasp on the issue and to be able to visually understand the depth of domestic violence and that it is more than just a legal issue. The movie triggered discussions about domestic violence.
A parliamentarians’ panel discussion on “What Parliamentarians Can Do or Are Doing?” was the last session of the intensive two-day meeting. The panel brought together the issues from the past two days to the level of parliament-arians and how they can contribute to preventing both HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. The panel consisted of four MPs. Mme. Tuti Indarsih Loekman Soetrisno, MP (Indonesia), and M. K.S. Rao, MP (India), discussed HIV/AIDS in their countries and the progress they have made. Dr. Meredith Anne Burgmann, MP (Australia), and Rep. Emmylou Talino-Santos (The Philippines) discussed domestic violence and the progress they have made in their countries. This session gave the parliamentarians the opportunity to share and discuss their own policies and legislation and what they can do in the future. The meeting was officially closed by Mme. Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, MP (Vietnam), Chairperson of VAPPD, and Vice-Chairperson of AFPPD. The personal commitment written by the parliamentarians’ own hands on what they can do about these issues was an important feature of the meeting.
Report on Laws and Policies on Reproductive Health and Rights
The Launch of the report, entitled “Women of the World: Laws and Policies Affecting Women’s Reproductive Lives in East and South East Asia”, and a brainstorming session on future of laws and policies affecting Thai women’ health were organized on December 16, 2005, at the Office of the National Human Rights Commission, in Bangkok, Thailand.
The event was co-organized by the Sub-committee on the Promotion of Opportunity and Equality of the National Human Rights Commission, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the Women’s Health Advocacy Foundation. Prof. Saneh Chamarik, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, opened the ceremony. He explained how the research was conducted and about the role of the Commission in this publication. The key findings of the report were presented. The report was written by Asia-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW). Mr. Saira Shameem, Executive Director, ARROW, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also spoke on the situation in the region.
In the latter part of the event, Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit, Senator (Thailand) and AFPPD Secretary-General, spoke on the future of Thailand’s Reproductive Health Bill and highlighted the importance of cooperation and information sharing between parliamentarians and government officials in drafting the related bills. This was then followed by the brainstorming session on strategic framework in sexual and reproductive rights advocacy in Thailand.
Major suggestions were to establish the national system/mechanism to monitor the situation surrounding reproductive rights and to set up the committee on women to monitor the law including its implementation. It was noted that it was important that mistreatments at hospitals and violation of reproductive rights were reported to authorities. Ms. Miho Yamazaki, Programme Associate, attended the launch on behalf of AFPPD.
3rd Focus Group Meeting: Maternal and Child Health
South Asian Parliamentarians Discuss MCH
Local and regional policy-makers’ focus has long been on the problem of maternal and child health in South Asia but the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) has brought a fresh perspective to the issue - right in the eye of the storm, New Delhi. At the 3rd Focus Group Meeting: Maternal and Child Health, held from December 27 to 28, 2005, at the Grand New Delhi Hotel, New Delhi, India, over 20 parliamentarians from Bhutan, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam explored the new dimensions of the state of maternal and child health (MCH).
The meeting, jointly organized by AFPPD and Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD), in collaboration with UNFPA and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, drew upon the wealth of experiences from resource persons who are experts in several different fields related to maternal and child health. Prof. P. J. Kurien, MP (India) and IAPPD Vice-Chairperson, welcomed the participants while Mr, Shiv Khare, AFPPD Executive Director, and Mr. Manmohan Sharma, IAPPD Executive Director, provided an overview of the conference.
Dr. Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, India, gave a keynote address on maternal and child health in India. She emphasized the interactions between parliamentarians and civil society and the significance of gender education, especially in the rural area. She said that political commitment was crucial in the efforts to improve the situation. As the bill enactment alone could not guarantee that the desired policy would be in practice, parliamentarians should also monitor the implementation of the law, she concluded.
Mr. Wasim Zaman, Director, UNFPA Regional Team for South and West Asia, UNFPA/CST, outlined major issues in maternal and child health that are related to achievement of ICPD and MDGs. He said there were three delays that contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality. The first one is that women might not seek maternal-health services as they do not have information about the service. The second one is that the women or the couples could not get to the place where such services are available because of lack of transport. The last one is attributed to lack of quality services for maternal health. He emphasized that the political commitment was crucial to these matters.
Dr. Shanti Ghosh, maternal and child health consultant, addressed the role of maternal and child health programmes in better care of children and mothers. She pointed out the inter-generational cycle of growth failure that encompasses the causal relations among deficiencies in maternal health, nutrition outcomes, birth outcomes, childhood and adolescent health, nutrition, and development outcomes, and maternal mortality, health and nutrition outcomes.
Dr. Saramma Thomas Mathai, Advisor RH and FP Services, UNFPA Country Technical Support Team for South and West Asia, Kathmandu, spoke on maternal mortality and morbidity in the region. At the community level, she said that parliamentarians should mobilize support with community leaders in their constituencies for realization of the rights of the groups that are excluded, through awareness about danger signs, birth preparedness, skilled care, community insurance schemes, and transport for emergencies. The parliamentarians also provided presentations in an information-sharing session that highlighted the experiences in maternal and child health from each country. Dr. Prema Ramachandran, Director, Nutrition Foundation of India, spoke on the paradign shift in maternal and child health programmes and its relevance to South Asia. She said South Asia’s goals pertaining to maternal and child health encompassed reduction in low birth weight, reduction in maternal mortality, improvement in child survival, improvement in infant and young child feeding, reduction in undernutrition/overnutrition achieving Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) elimination, and reduction in Anaemia. Dr. Kishanrao Suresh, UNICEF India Country Office, New Delhi, spoke on child survival strategy and partnership. He said a massive push for essential services for children and families was currently missing. Dr. V.K. Manchanda, Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, spoke on the challenges and experiences of achieving maternal and child health in India. He said that, in order to improve access to services in rural areas, an ambitious National Rural Health Mission (NMHS) had been launched in 2005 and reproductive and child health programme was part of this mission. He added that malnutrition was a major contributor to maternal and child deaths. Dr. Vinod Paul, Professor of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, presented the global and regional child-health scenarios in which 10 million children die every year. He also spoke on India’s current status in this regard. Dr. Mira Shiva, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), spoke on the rational use of medicines in maternal and child health in developing countries. Before the concluding session, the parliamentarians wrote down their personal commitments on the improvement of maternal and child health. They also presented their letters of personal commitment as a pledge to keep these issues in mind.
IMPO/AFPPD at WHO Partnership Consultation in Stockholm
Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit, Senator (Thailand) and AFPPD Secretary-General, represented International Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO) at the Partners’ Consultation on World Health Organization (WHO) 11th General Programme of Work (GPW), from November 17 to 18, 2005, in Stockholm, Sweden. She spoke on the panel discussion on the role of WHO within the global health agenda. As a parliamentarian working on public health, she said WHO had many functions, but the UN system needed to find a way to better work with parliamentarians. WHO should be strong on good governance and should change the fact that work with parliamentarians on health is often a low priority. As for the GPW, Dr. Sukavejworakit said it must be clear that WHO could not “tackle poverty” alone and it needed to be precise and armed with the specific role in this regard. The partners’ consultation on the 11th GPW was held in Stockholm as a means to get feedback from WHO’s partners.
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