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Influence the youth through the existing public health systems and services

A statement from Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of Health and Family Welfare in India, was delivered at the conference stating that India has progressed in addressing health-related issues under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The programme made necessary corrections in the healthcare delivery system, and improved the access of the public to healthcare in India. Under NRHM, a national strategy on adolescent health had been incorporated as a key technical intervention. He emphasized, “It is our endeavor to influence the behavior of the youth, through the existing public health systems and services. We should address issues on eliminating child marriage; reducing maternal mortality; and lowering incidence of sexually transmitted infections and HIV through awareness and sensitization”.

Empower SRHR movements and focus efforts on male’s involvement in SRH

Ms. Baige Zhao, Vice-Minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission in China, released the reports of the conference and announced that the 5th APCRSH will be held in China. She stressed the need to empower SRHR movements and the need to focus efforts on male’s involvement in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). Ms. Zhao added, “Access to family planning gives women more options and opportunities; but, it is not only for them because it concerns the whole society. While progress has been made towards upholding SRHR, variations between countries in the region still exist.”

India has laws in safeguarding women rights. These laws need to be implemented in communities where traditions are often more influential than the laws

Ms. Purnima Mane Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA.

In her speech, Ms. Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, emphasized the increasing gender-based violence, skewed sex ratio, high mortality rate, and spread of HIV infection among the youth and women. “While India has laws in safeguarding women rights, these laws need to be implemented in communities where traditions are often more influential than the laws”, she said. India’s population is more than a billion and the sex ratio continues to dismal. Between 1991 and 2001, the country had experienced more than a 50-point decline in children’s sex ratio. If this trend continues to 2050, there will be 28 million surplus male population in India. Ms. Mane added, “This will put pressure to the female population which will be outnumbered by males. A growing number of men will be unable to find wives, leading to rise in sexual violence and trafficking of women”.

The integration of family planning, HIV/AIDS and SRH

The youth of Asia-Pacific comprise 70 percent of the world’s youth population. Innovative partnerships are required between governments, civil societies and international organizations to generate political will in providing affordable and accessible reproductive health services for the youth. Ms. Gill Greer, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), said, “The integration of family planning, HIV/AIDS and SRH is fundamental in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. We should inform governments and urge them to show political will in achieving the goals”. Mr. V.M. Koliwad, Secretary-General of the Family Planning Association (FPA)-India, and Mr. Sunil Mehra, co-Chair of APCRSH, also spoke at the opening session.

AFPPD’s Parliamentarian Symposium at the 4th APCRSH

Political Commitment Essential for Tackling Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues

Left to right: Mr. Jagannath Manda, MP (India); Ms. Sanjaasurengin Oyun, MP (Mongolia); Senator Rodolfo Biazon (Philippines); Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director of the Asia-Pacific Division of UNFPA; Mr. Robert Oakeshott, MP (Australia); Ms. Tuti Indarsih Loekman Soetrisno, MP (Indonesia); and Mr. Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe, Speaker of Parliament (Samoa)

Political commitment is vital for the success of any development programme, specially the International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA) – including family planning, and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in Asia-Pacific. In line with the 4th APCRSH, AFPPD organized a symposium on “Enhancing Political Commitment for Reproductive and Sexual Health in Asia-Pacific” to review the state of prevailing political commitment and to discuss the future concerns in the region.

Opening Remarks

Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director of the Asia-Pacific Division of UNFPA, opened the symposium, saying that there is a need for governments to look in their national plans for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). “We need to re-examine countries’ obligations toward the ICPD goals so that SRH issues will be handled correctly. The ICPD had articulated visions about the relationships between population, development and individual well-being. It had also adopted a PoA, built on the success of population, maternal health and family planning programmes of the previous decades”, he added.

There is a need for governments to look in their national plans for achieving the MDGs. We need to re-examine countries’ obligations towards the ICPD goals.

Mr. Sultan Aziz
Director of the Asia-Pacifi c
Division of UNFPA

Political commitment promotes socio-economic development

According to Mr. Tolofuavalelei Falemoe, Speaker of Parliament (Samoa), success of any health programme is largely dependent on the efforts of a government. Political commitment will not only safeguard youth from teen pregnancies, sexual violence, exploitation, and sexually transmitted infections but it also promotes socio-economic development. Parliaments should enact legislations for implementing, promoting and supporting SRH programmes in Asia-Pacific. Political commitment for SRH can be accelerated through regular interactions and discussions in parliaments and communities”.

Mongolia’s progress in achieving the MDGs

The SRH achievements in Mongolia was narrated by Ms. Sanjaasurengin Oyun, MP (Mongolia). She informed that the maternal mortality rate in Mongolia decreased from 200 per 100,000 women in 1994 to 69 in 2006. A national policy on reproductive health and a law on gender equality was also adopted to help achieve MDGs in Mongolia.

Some laws are contradictory to international treaties In Indonesia, some laws are contradictory to international treaties.

Ms. Tuti Indarsih Loekman Soetrisno, MP (Indonesia), informed that the Indonesian parliamentarians had demanded that the minimum age for marriage should be kept 18 for both genders to eliminate child marriage and early pregnancy. The existing law in Indonesia has kept marriage ages 19 for boys and 16 for girls, which is in contradiction with the International Law on Elimination of Child Marriage. Similarly, parliamentarians had made several suggestions in amending the population and health laws. Only married couples, not including unmarried people, are allowed to avail family planning services, according to the current law.

National Rural Health Mission in India

By implementing the National Rural Health Mission, where reproductive and children’s health are mentioned, the Indian government showed that it is sensitive towards solving SRH issues. “Being a multi-religious country, Indian parliamentarians face oppositions from several quarters in tackling SRH issues. Like it or not, religion and culture binds the people. By ignoring this factor, we further alienate the civil society”, emphasized by Mr. Jagannath Mandha, MP (India).

Religion influence in promoting SRH issues

In the Philippines, the influence of religion in the society and culture is prevalent, and policymakers are wary of challenging the church. Senator Rodolfo Biazon (Philippines) faces difficulty in promoting SRH issues. He had been fighting for SRH in the government for many years but had found little support from other parliamentarians in his country. “Religious fundamentalism and culture are the biggest challenges in SRH. These factors are creating hindrances in dealing with SRH”, he highlighted.

Without public pressure, politicians will do nothing

Mr. Robert Oakeshott, MP (Australia), encouraged the public to put pressure to political leaders for them to act for SRH. He said, “Without any pressure from the community, politicians will do nothing”. He urged policymakers to discuss SRH issues, and to push governments to increase the funding and commitment to SRH. Other parliamentarians present at the symposium were Mr. Try Cheang Hout, MP (Cambodia); Mr. Virgilio Maria Dias Marcal, MP (Timor-Leste); and Ms. Maria da Costa Exposto, MP (Timor-Leste).

AFPPD’s Central Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference

Family Policies in Central Asia Focused on Healthcare of Women and Children

Participants at the conference

AFPPD, the Commonwealth of Independent States’ (CIS) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliament of Kazakhstan organized the Central Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on “Family Policy in Former Soviet Republics in the 21st Century” on 20-22 September in Astana, Kazakhstan. It was attended by 53 parliamentarians, deputies and health ministers from 9 European, Central Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

Kazakhstan’s future plans

The conference was opened Mr. Kopeev Jumanazaruly, Deputy Chair of Senate in Kazakhstan, by informing Kazakhstan’s long-term plans. The expenses for social welfare will be 49 percent out of the state’s total budget for 2008. Monthly grants for child care will increase, and insurances for pregnant and working women will be introduced. Strategies in the future plans will include new legislations on families, wages, employment, children and education. He emphasized the country’s economic expansion and the increased financing of the social sector. These actions led to population growth – Kazakhstan had 290 thousand children in 2006 from 200 thousand in 2000.

AFPPD recognizes benefits from inter-regional collaboration

AFPPD’s activities were underlined by Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, MP (Thailand), Secretary-General of AFPPD and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand, saying, “AFPPD places great value to information exchange and recognizes the immense benefits that can be gained from inter-regional collaboration – that is why it is expanding to Central Asia. It publishes Russian newsletters and sends electronic news regularly. AFPPD also have country committees in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; and looks forward to engage further in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan”.

Central Asia made progress

“After the dissolution of Soviet Union, many economies lost their leading positions and cooperation between countries was ceased. But now, Kazakhstan’s economy grows 7 percent yearly and half of the state’s budget is used for socio-cultural needs in the country”, added Mr. Ragimzade Gafar, Standing Committee Chair on Regional Issues in Azerbaijan.

UNFPA is always ready to support family policies

Mr. Khaled Philby (left), Representative of UNFPA-Uzbekistan/Central Asia and Mr. Anatolii Dernovoi, Minister of Public Health in Kazakhstan

Mortality rates among children and mothers in Central Asia are troubling, as high as 53 per thousand live births and 65 per 100,000 women in 2007. Mr. Khaled Philby, Representative of UNFPA-Uzbekistan/Central Asia, informed that UNFPA is always ready to support family policies. Safe motherhood, and promoting women and children rights are among the primary concerns of UNFPA. Efforts can be seen in the health improvement of mothers and children in many countries. In 2007, UNFPA concentrated its efforts in maternal health and made “Men as Partners in Maternal Health” as theme of the World Population Day. He continued, “This conference is part of AFPPD’s efforts to increase awareness of parliamentarians on population and development linkage, and to help them in developing strategies”.

Increase funding to support families

The future plans and strategies of the health ministry in Kazakhstan were presented by Mr. Anatolii Dernovoi, Minister of Public Health. The fundings to support families in Kazakhstan are increasing – medical support for families are freely provided, medical specialists are trained and high-technology medical equipments are purchased. “As mothers and children comprise 60 percent of the population, this topic is important and it deserves attention”, he stressed.

Family protection needs attention and action

In her remarks, Ms. Aitkul Samakova, Deputy of Parliament in Kazakhstan, informed that the number of families has increased to 4.3 million in Kazakhstan but the average number of members has decreased. “Eleven percent of the families comprise of just mothers and children, and it is a worrying figure. Family plays a vital role in social, cultural and economic development; therefore, family protection is an issue that needs attention and action”, she emphasized, adding that, “The state policy is focused in supporting families and youth, and in strengthening the roles of parliamentarians on reproductive health”.

Assessing MDGs in CIS countries

The session on assessing MDGs in CIS countries was presented by Mr. Aikan Akanov, Director of Public Health Institute in Kazakhstan. He emphasized that Kazakhstan undertakes measures to improve public health by allocating 2 billion USD, adding that, “The government pays attention to the social sector to achieve MDGs”. Extreme poverty and hunger lowered from 31 percent in 2000 to 9 percent in 2005; primary education is almost 100 percent achieved; child mortality decreased from 19.4 per thousand in 2001 to 15.5 in 2003; and maternal mortality was down to 20 percent in 2005.

MDG situation in Tajikistan

Mortality rates of infants and mothers decreased in Tajikistan – from 86 per thousand newborns in 2002 to 17 in 2005, and 46 per 100,000 women in 2002 to 33 in 2005 – despite the lack of government budget to support the healthcare of mothers and children. In 2001, the government began working on initiatives for safe motherhood by training specialists, and establishing clinics for maternal care. Immunization was introduced, preventive measures for HIV/AIDS were carried out and breastfeeding was encouraged. The progress of MDGs in Tajikistan was narrated by Ms. Aziza Hodjaeva, Specialist of the Department of Family Planning.

Employ old people and increase birthrate

Senator Beksultan Tutkushev (Kazakhstan) (left), Deputy Secretary-General of AFPPD and Mr. Osmonbek Artykbaev (right), MP (Kyrgyzstan)

The session on aging population, and legal and social problems in CIS countries was chaired by Mr. Osmonbek Artykbaev, MP (Kyrgyzstan). Senator Beksultan Tutkushev (Kazakhstan), Deputy Secretary-General of AFPPD, said that the old people comprise 28 percent of the population in Kazakhstan. With such trend, the load of the working population, the pressure on the government’s pension budget and the demand for health services will all increase. Pensioners comprise 11 percent of the population and they will increase 1.5 times in 10 years. “We are looking on how to employ the pensioners and to increase birth rate. The coefficient of births must be no lower than 2.5 to support the aging population in the next 10 years, and the average life expectancy should increase from 65.8 years old to 70.5 in 2015”, he said.

Cooperation between UNICEF and Kazakhstan

The topic on social and sexual status of adolescents was discussed by Mr. Alexander Zuev, Representative of UNICEF-Kazakhstan. He outlined the primary cooperation between UNICEF and Kazakhstan for 2008-2009 on family policy development, healthcare and education – specially on the technical assistance and support for mother and children protection, and the actions to be taken to improve the welfare of children.

Programmes to improve families in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s situation on maternal and children protection was presented by Ms. Djubatova Roza from the Ministry of Public Health in Uzbekistan. Several programmes were carried out to improve family situations in the country, such as reforming and strengthening the healthcare systems of mothers and children. Plans to improve family policies will include improvement of medical centers, training of medical specialists, awareness dissemination and cooperation with international organizations.

Laws and government grants in Belarus

Sixty-five percent of the state’s budget is allotted for social development in Belarus. Several laws exist in the country to strengthen and protect the rights of families, informed by Ms. Nina Jdanuk, Member of the Standing Committee of National Assembly Chamber in Belarus. Laws and government grants for families, and social protection for orphaned children were included in the legislation. Families with children below 3 years old are provided with grants; while families with children of 3 years old and above are granted with financial support, depending on the family income. Currently, seventy percent of families with children use the privileges offered by the government.

While there are regional differences in the health challenges, there are many issues that are parallel

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Boonyawongvirot said, “We begin our works on family policy programmes not only in CIS countries but also in Asia. While there are differences in the health challenges that face our regions, there are many challenges that are parallel”. Mr. Ahan Bijanov, Senate Committee Chair on Socio-Cultural Development in Kazakhstan, added, “I think that the tasks which we put before ourselves were accomplished. We exchanged opinions and information on problems and ways in solving family policy issues. This will contribute to the improvement of our strategies in facing these topics”.

Asia-Pacific Falls Behind Other Regions in Some Millennium Development Goal Targets

Bangkok, October 8: Asia-Pacific is forging ahead in many Millennium Development Goals (MDG) but there is uneven progress within countries, with some falling behind Sub-Sahara African and Latin American countries. The report, “The Millennium Development Goals: Progress in Asia and the Pacific 2007”, was launched by UNESCAP, in collaboration with UNDP and the Asian Development Bank. The launch was chaired by Mr. Raj Kumar, Principal Officer of UNESCAP. Introductory remarks were given by Mr. Jean-Pierre Verbiest, Director of ADB-Thailand, and Ms. Elizabeth Fong, Manager of the Regional Centre of UNDP-Bangkok. The report was presented by UNESCAP officials: Mr. Pietro Gennari, Chief of the Statistics Division, and Mr. Ravi Ratnayake, Chief of the Poverty and Development Division. AFPPD was represented by Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director, and Ms. Passawee Tapasanan, Programme Associate.

The report indicated that despite economic prosperity in the region, some countries are not on track to achieve MDGs. While many countries have resources to spend for MDGs, the poorest states do not have funds to meet all their investment needs. The report also emphasized the importance of economic technical cooperation among developing countries and warned that environmental pressures can push more people into poverty. The greatest challenges in the region lie in addressing the issues of child mortality, malnutrition, improved maternal health, providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.

The region accounts 65 percent of the world’s underweight children. It is also slow in reducing child and maternal mortalities – 6 out of 100 children do not live until their fifth birthday and 300 women die per 100,000 live births annually. Over 560 million people lack access to improved water sources and 1.5 billion are living without basic sanitation facilities. If off-track countries in the region are able to meet MDGs; then, about 196 million people will be lifted out of poverty, 23 million children will no longer suffer hunger and 1 million of them will survive beyond their fifth birthday.

IMPO Parliamentarians Attended WHO’s Programme Evaluation in Asia-Pacific

Jeju, September 10-14: The 58th session of World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Committee for Western Pacific was convened in South Korea to review its work in Asia-Pacific, and to ensure that its health programmes are effective and on track. A number of health issues were discussed, such as the action plan against avian influenza and the progress made in addressing tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. Mr. Shigeru Omi, Regional Director of WHO, briefed the committee on how countries are fairing towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals. Ms. Troeung Thavy, MP (Cambodia); Mr. Hap Omaly, National Officer of the Cambodian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development; and Senator Raja Ram Nadayasan of Malaysia attended the session on behalf of the International Medical Parliamentarians’ Organization (IMPO).

Anti-Poverty Gathering Attended by 43 Million People Made Guinness Record

Bangkok, October 17: Around 1,000 people linked hands outside UN Building to express their commitments to tackle global poverty on the International Day for Eradication of Poverty. A record-breaking of 43 million people across the globe participated in UN’s “Speak Out and Stand Up Against Poverty” Campaign, calling for international leaders to end extreme poverty by 2015. UN staff, government officials, NGO representatives and the public joined the event. AFPPD was represented by Mr. Philip Nalangan, Editorial Associate, and Ms. Passawee Tapasanan, Programme Associate. “The message of this event is for the governments to listen to the poor people”, said Ms. Gwi-Yeop Son, Resident Representative of UNDP-Thailand.

Ms. Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, delivered the keynote address saying, “Some 9.5 percent of the Thai population is living in poverty. This is a good sign compared to 38 percent in 1990”. Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, presented the message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Mr. Ravi Ratnayake, Director of the Poverty and Development Division of UNESCAP, also spoke at the event.

Parliamentary Committees Highlighted ASRH Study Results at RHIYA’s Final Review Meeting

The final review meeting of stakeholders to evaluate RHIYA’s research studies in 7 Asian countries took place in Brussels, Belgium on September 28. It was attended by representatives from the European Commission (EC), UNFPA and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) who were involved in the project. AFPPD and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) also took part at the meeting. The opening ceremony was addressed by Mr. Erich-Wilhelm Muller, Director of the Asia and Central Asia Division of EuropeAid Cooperation, EC, and Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director of the Asia-Pacific Division of UNFPA. It was moderated by Ms. Anne Van Lancker, MP (Belgium) and President of EPF. An overview of RHIYA’s achievements from a youth perspective was delivered by Ms. Aniqua Tasnim Antora from Bangladesh.

Cambodia’s key achievements in ASRH were presented by Mr. Var Chivorn, Deputy Executive Director of the Reproductive Health Association in Cambodia. In 2003-2006, the European Union (EU) provided USD 2.8 million to RHIYA that resulted to the development of training manuals for livelihood skills, and guidelines on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) service packages offered by health centers. The key interventions used in the project included the availability of information and services in youth-friendly centers, establishment of networks, strengthening of family support to ASRH, peer and outreach education, organization of forums and other related events, and promotion of SRH awareness through printed materials and radio programmes.

Mr. Thierry Lucas, Programme Manager of RHIYA, introduced RHIYA and gave a briefing on its regional impacts, country achievements, key figures and remaining challenges. He sited that the peer educators’ contacts in Cambodia reached 600,000 in 3 years, access to HIV/AIDS information increased to 93 percent in Bangladesh, level of ASRH discussion climbed to 40 percent in Nepal, knowledge of the correct ways in avoiding Sexually-Transmitted Infections (STI) went up to 25 percent in Sri Lanka and use of contraceptives grew to 59 percent in Lao PDR.

Among the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of RHIYA’s research studies in 7 Asian countries, conducted by AFPPD’s national parliamentary committees in cooperation with UNFPA’s country offices. The studies assessed which EU/UNFPA-supported youth empowerment interventions can be mainstreamed into the national health policies, and which will require continued external support. The session was moderated by Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD.

The opportunities and challenges in providing ASRH services for vulnerable youth in underserved areas of Sri Lanka was highlighted by Ms. Nirupama Rajapakse, MP (Sri Lanka). Despite information and education programmes that had been conducted in Sri Lanka, the knowledge on reproductive health and STIs remained significantly low. “It is critical that programmes on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS are effectively implemented”, she stressed, adding that the youth should be involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of national strategies.

Ms. Chitralekha Yadav, MP (Nepal), presented the ASRH situation in Nepal. RHIYA was executed through the local NGOs, in collaboration with the government and UN agencies. The project was implemented in the rural areas and it contributed in strengthening the key milestones of ASRH programmes in Nepal. She said, “RHIYA contributes in achieving the government goals on ASRH. The experiences and lessons learned on it have provided the basis for the improvement of ASRH programmes in Nepal”. The technical expertise and resources from the programme enhanced clinical protocols and management guidelines of ASRH. RHIYA also empowered youth with livelihood skills and provided them with appropriate information on SRH issues.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Khe, Vice Director of the Ministry of Health in Vietnam, discussed on scaling up of RHIYA’s good practices in youth-friendly centers in Vietnam. He presented the activities and interventions undertaken for youth’s reproductive health, and sited that UNFPA funded projects to improve ASRH – such as counseling centers, school clubs, mobile groups and radio programmes on SRH issues. RHIYA’s initiative provided an enabling environment for ASRH programmes, intervention projects for SRH services and capacity-building for local NGOs. Its advocacy efforts contributed to the integration of SRH issues into the Youth Law that was approved in November 2005.

Cambodia’s experience in scaling up ASRH services was highlighted by Mr. Min Sean, MP (Cambodia). There is limited access to quality ASRH information and services in Cambodia. Stakeholders reported that the knowledge on SRH had increased but the positive behavior change was still limited. RHIYA activities led to the adoption of a national standard guideline for SRH services, a practical step towards achieving a sustainable package of services for the youth. In addition, SRH was being integrated into the secondary school’s curriculum. Mr. Saleemullah Baig, Project Coordinator of RHIYA, presented the Islamic perspective of ASRH.

A roundtable discussion on “Partners’ Response on National Strategies for Scaling up ASRH” was chaired by Ms. Karen Merkel, Consultant of RHIYA. It was participated by Ms. Anne Harmer and Mr. Le Thanh, EC delegates from Thailand and Vietnam, respectively; Ms. France Donnay, Representative of UNFPA-Pakistan; and Ms. Katherine Ba-Thike, Manager for Asia-Pacific of the Reproductive Health and Research Department of World Health Organization. Ms. Donnay spoke on the key achievements of RHIYA in Pakistan. Eighty youth friendly centers were set up across the country to offer skill-building opportunities, group discussion sessions on reproductive health and individual counseling. The project also provided its input and advocacy in drafting a national youth policy and in setting up a 17-member youth advisory panel.

The session on EU-Asia cooperation for future ASRH interventions was chaired by Mr. Neil Datta, Secretary of EPF. Ms Wendy Baldwin, Poverty, Gender and Youth Programme Director of Population Council, focused on the challenges and interventions in improving ASRH. She sited the out-of-school girls in Egypt as an example case study. The interventions implemented in the situation focused on literacy, livelihood skills, citizenship, sports and recreation; and these brought positive changes in health knowledge, behavior, gender role attitudes and marital aspirations.

Future ASRH interventions from EC and UNFPA perspectives were tackled by Mr. Christopher Knauth of EC, and Ms. Laura Laski, Senior Technical Advisor of UNFPA. Mr. Knauth highlighted EC’s perspective on investing for the welfare of the people. He informed that EC supports activities under the four pillars – for good health; for education, knowledge and skills; for gender equality; and for other aspects of human and social development. Under the health pillar, EC supports human resources for healthcare services and countries with worst SRH indicators.

Ms. Laura Laski emphasized the lessons learned, developments and challenges in RHIYA. The challenges included child marriage, early pregnancy, unsafe abortion, poverty, discrimination, violence against girls and unemployment. She stressed UNFPA’s policy towards youth – including placing youth issues in the overall development context, participating in policy dialogues, advocacy in mainstreaming country issues, promoting social protection packages and building alliances with other partners.

Majority of the population in urban areas will be young people from poor families

A session in channeling future efforts for Asia’s youth was chaired by Ms. Halida Hanum Akhter, Executive Director of the Family Planning Association-Bangladesh and recipient of the 2006 Population Award. Ms. Junko Sazaki, Representative of UNFPA-Nepal, discussed “Asia in 2020” by showing demographic presentations. By 2025, the world’s youth population will grow to 619 million; however, Asia will decline to 348 million. Majority of the population in Asia will be in urban areas and young people from poor families will play a big role in the urban wave. She informed that investing for youth’s welfare is the key to end generations of poverty, as well as to attain peace and stability.

Ms. Hilde Vautmans, MP (Belgium) and Member of EPF, delivered her speech saying, “The greatest challenge in some Asian countries is having a population mostly of young people”. Asia is on track in addressing SRH – in Bangladesh, the fertility rate declined from 6.3 children per woman in 1970s to 3.3 in late 1990s; and in Cambodia, the government launched safe motherhood and birth spacing programmes, and decreased HIV/AIDS prevalence. Taboo is a major barrier in addressing SRH issues in parliaments. She urged policymakers to discuss SRH in their respective parliaments.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Sultan Aziz encouraged governments to look for the youth as investments and to treat them as agents of change. Investing in ASRH is one way of ending poverty. He stressed, “Parliamentarians should make sure that RHIYA will go forward by investing in ASRH. You have to demand actions for youth policies and organize a dialogue with the youth”. Mr. Erich-Wilhelm Muller also delivered his closing speech saying, “I am very proud of RHIYA’s outcome and success. I urge policymakers to continuously take initiatives to discuss policies with the youth and to do more in addressing SRH issues”.

Training on Governance and Management of NPOs/NGOs

Ahmedabad, August 13 - September 21: The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and the Ministry of External Affairs in India organized a training on “Governance and Management of Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs)/NGOs” for members, officers, staff, and employees of NPOs/NGOs and donor agencies. The six-week programme provided participants with the core knowledge, practical skills, and tools to effectively govern, manage and lead an organization. Among the topics discussed included financial and project managements, planning, design and implementation of NPOs/NGOs. A study visit to organizations and agencies working on human resource development was also included. Mr. Edzuan Zakaria, Administrative Officer of AFPPD-Malaysia, participated the training.

European Policymakers Should Focus in Family Planning Aid

Study Presented by the European Parliamentary Forum and the German Foundation for World Population

Brussels, October 9: European policymakers neglect family planning in their development aid, concluded a new study presented by the German Foundation for World Population and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development. According to Euromapping, the share of family planning aid in the total OECD population assistance fell from 30 to 9 percent between 2001 and 2004. This left millions of mothers and children suffering unnecessarily from maternal and infant deaths, unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

The funding cut in family planning entrenched poverty in developing countries. Recent years also saw a shift towards increased funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment at the expense of other forms of population assistance – funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria increased to 70 percent while funding for the International Planned Parenthood Federation decreased. The study also highlighted that the European governments have committed to double their development assistance by 2010 while the actual disbursements decreased in 2005-2006.

European Parliamentarians and Young Decision-Makers’ Malaria Advocacy

Younde, August 26 - September 1: The European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) organized a study tour on malaria to Cameroon for young decision-makers and parliamentarians from Germany, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden – including officials from EPF: Mr. Neil Datta, Secretary, and Ms. Silvia Theodoridis, EU Advocacy Officer. Hosted by the Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria, the programme provided the participants an experience on malaria-control in a developing country and insights on the burden of the disease. The delegation was received by Mr. Urbain Olanguena Awono, Minister of Public Health, and representatives from other ministries and funding agencies. They visited hospitals and various local initiatives dealing with malaria prevention; and were briefed on the challenges, shortcomings and efforts made by the government to lessen the prevalence of the disease.

Meetings were held with the officials from the Ministries of Public Health, Finance and others working on malaria. A working session was organized where the local parliamentarians and the visitors could exchange views and share experiences. The policymakers identified administrative bottlenecks as obstacles that slow down progress against the disease. One of the main shortcomings highlighted was the incapability for the locals to possess a treated mosquito bed net. A major point raised was the creation of television and radio programmes to deliver information on malaria to the public. After assessing the situation in Cameroon, the visiting parliamentarians assured to accelerate malaria advocacy in their respective parliaments to help eradicate the pandemic.

International Day of Non-Violence on Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday

New York, October 2: As the first International Day of Non-Violence was observed on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, said that Mahatma’s inspiration is needed now more than ever amid rising global tensions, intolerance and conflicts. Addressing the UN General Assembly, he said that the communities are increasingly mired in rising intolerance and cross-cultural tensions. He hoped that the event will promote Mahatma’s message of peace, and will help advance true tolerance and non-violence at every level.

Ms. Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian National Congress, and Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Foreign Minister of South Africa, also spoke at the assembly. Ms. Gandhi asked individuals and movements to adopt Mahatma’s methods in developing innovative and non-violent ways to overcome oppression, combat discrimination and build democracy. Ms. Zuma said, “Unless nations embrace Mahatma’s ideas as their own, peace will certainly continue to elude us with dire consequences for all humanity”.

IN BRIEF

Concerned over the decline of sterilization in India, the Ministry of Union Health and Family Welfare increased the compensation package for the loss of wages to people who adopt family planning. The compensation was doubled for men undergoing vasectomy, to boost male participation in family planning. Similarly, the compensation for tubectomy had increased. But despite these, sterilization fell 4.3 percent during 2006-07 as compared to the previous period.

Parliamentarian Conference on Democracy, European Affairs and Active Citizenship

Strasbourg, September 12: More than 220 parliamentarians from Europe met at the conference on “Representative Democracy, European Affairs and Active Citizenship”. Jointly organized by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies, the conference aimed to take stock on representative democracy in various levels and to outline future inter-parliamentary cooperation between parliaments.

Spain increased its contribution to UNFPA from EUR 665,000 in 2005 to EUR 10 million this year. The trend is very positive for co-financing as well, the total pledges increased from EUR 3.1 million in 2005 to EUR 5.3 million in 2006.

Cambodia’s aging population phenomenon does not escape the global trend in the world population. Although old people is accounted 6 percent of the total population, they will increase to 10 percent and 26 percent in 2025 and 2050, respectively. This will be due to the decreasing fertility rate and the increasing life expectancy in Cambodia. Financial support for elders from the Cambodian government and charities is extremely rare. In spite of this trend, the country still ranks lowest in population aging in Southeast Asia for the next five decades.

Parliamentary Dialogue on Women’s Health Initiatives

AFPPD, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF), and the Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (IAPG) facilitated the participation of parliamentarians from Asia, Africa, Europe and Americas in the Women Deliver Conference, one of the biggest gatherings of 2,000 women leaders, ministers, government officials, donors, and representatives from UN agencies, NGOs and civil societies. The conference was organized by the Family Care International, in collaboration with governments, NGOs and UN agencies, on October 18-20 in London, UK. A parliamentary dialogue on “Women’s Health: Parliamentary Initiatives Across the Regions of the World” was organized by AFPPD, EPF and IAPG during the conference.

Mr. Neil Datta, Secretary of EPF, chaired the dialogue. Ms. Tuti Indarsih, MP (Indonesia), informed on the initiatives of the Indonesian government to improve women’s health. She highlighted that the country’s maternal mortality rate is as high as 266 per thousand women. Contributing factors to this alarming figure is the country’s geography, difficulty in establishing medical centers, insufficient funding for preventive care and disparity of women delivery services. Strong political will, and supports from the ministries and governments are vital players in achieving progress in these areas. She stressed, “There is a need to have reliable data as basis for a good national programme”, adding that the family planning programme for men is not fully developed and it needs to be included in the national policy.

The need to increase the support in healthcare worldwide, especially for members of the working class and minority people, was highlighted by Ms. Hilda Solis, MP (USA). Given that 50 percent of female Latinos are pregnant at the age of 20 and the high number of HIV infections in US; the government needs to inform minority communities about family planning and HIV/AIDS, and it needs to improve the national health plans on these issues. Ms. Ximena Flores, MP (Bolivia), briefed the parliamentarians on the implemented initiatives for women’s health in Bolivia. Recently, the country’s government approved a law on population and on healthcare for the indigenous people. Newly established hospitals increased the access of indigenous communities to healthcare and family planning services. The initiative brought different communities together and bridged cultural divisions that exist.

Ms. Beatrice Atim, MP (Uganda), urged governments to put maternal health as a budget priority; to raise the salaries of doctors, midwives and health workers; and to involve men in family planning. She informed that it is mandatory for husbands to accompany their wives to birth-preparation courses in Uganda. Women empowerment is necessary for women to be successful in their decision-making and in changing cultural norms. In Uganda, 35 percent of the parliamentarians are women. The role of women policymakers is vital in formulating effective laws for women, in ensuring that governments increase the funding for health services and in informing women of their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

Ms. Lediana Mafuru Mng’ong’o, MP (Tanzania) and Chair of Africa Coalition for HIV/AIDS, emphasized the need for women leaders to be united. Tanzania had a women’s caucus in 2001 that helped raise 10 percent of the government’s health budget. The country will also have an HIV/AIDS law by January 2008. She stressed that there is a need to increase the training of health workers since 60 percent of deliveries in rural areas are done in traditional ways.

The dialogue was concluded by Ms. Anne van Lancker, MP (Belgium) and President of EPF, by focusing on Europe’s role as development aid donor. She appealed to the European parliamentarians to strengthen their partnership with the recipient countries. Ms. van Lancker stated that the European Consensus on Development, a policy reflecting EU’s principles for development cooperation, has been a major achievement. The consensus focused on maternal health, SRHR and HIV/AIDS.

Aside from the dialogue, the Women Deliver Conference included a Ministers’ Forum which brought 120 delegations – including ministers of health and planning, parliamentarians from AFPPD, and representatives of civil societies – from over 35 countries. Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director of UNFPA-IERD, also attended the forum; which engaged decision-makers in reviewing data, in analyzing efforts in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on maternal health and in committing to ensure that MDGs remain high priority in their agendas.

AFPPD facilitated the participation of Ms. Steve Chadwick, MP (New Zealand) and Chair of AFPPD’s Standing Committee on Women, Mr. Guowei Sang, MP (China) and Vice-Chair of AFPPD; Ms. Chantheum Latmany, MP (Laos); Ms. Chitralekha Yadav, MP (Nepal); Ms. Ana Theresa Baraquel, MP (Philippines); Ms. Abike Dabiri, MP (Nigeria) and many others.

Women Need Help to Deliver

The Women Deliver Conference reminded people in the field of health on how much more they need to deliver to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women. The Inter-Press Service (IPS) conducted an exclusive interview with Ms. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, one of the leading figures in taking the new moves forward.

It delivered a high level of attention to maternal health – this is what it intended to do, and it did very well. The challenge is that, it has now raised expectations among ministers, NGOs, and us at the UN. Now, there is a high expectation to deliver on the ground, so that is the big challenge coming out of it.

The problem before was that everything was done vertically. Now with the emphasis that maternal health is not just a medical issue – it is more an issue of the community and society – we need to ensure that we integrate the various components of maternal health so that women at risk of dying when giving birth, usually the poor ones, will receive a coherent and integrated package of health.

When there are services in the community, then they can go for pre-natal and post-natal care, they can go for delivery with skilled attendants and they can get HIV-AIDS counseling. The whole idea is to bring various components together. This did not happen over the past 20 years because provisions of care were very vertical.

What does a shift from what you call a vertical approach mean on the ground? Will it mean, among other things, less interventions from medical authorities in government?

Earlier, a lot of emphasis was given to primary healthcare at the community level and we have lost a great deal of that. Now, there is a push to go back to the effective community units of healthcare.

The health system does need to deliver at the community level. One thing that came out of the conference and it was repeated in many forms – that maternal health is the litmus test for the whole health system, in the sense that services need to be in place. This means that there are clinics that will take care of women during pregnancy and after pregnancy, that they will have skilled attendants at birth; and in case of emergency, they can have the necessary care. This requires that clinics have equipments in the surgery room. It means they need to have blood available for transfusion. If clinics have all these at hand, then they can use these for other health problems that can arise.

The problem is that it hasn’t improved much. We’re still talking of half a million deaths a year, about the same figure 20 years ago. This is the number of deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

Does sub-Saharan Africa still have the worst of this and have there been any regional improvements?

Yes, there are a number of countries that have been able to make the jump. We use Sri Lanka, Egypt, Honduras, Mexico as examples of countries where there were great deals of investment in primary healthcare and integrating programmes; and where jumps to better maternal health took place. These nations also moved quickly in providing emergency care for women, so that they can be moved quickly to hospitals.

Is a lot of funding going for the big three – AIDS, TB and malaria – and not enough for maternal health?

Yes, one that has suffered most is family planning. The three interventions we need here are: first, skilled birth attendants; second, emergency obstetric care; and third, family planning. If a woman can plan her family and ensure spacing between her children, that is good for her and for the children. But, investment in family planning went down in the last 20 years, with investment for HIV/AIDS rising to large amounts.

Is there a need for more education to bring down the incidence of maternal mortality?

Yes, girls’ education. That is why we are saying that this must be an integrated package. You have to promote girls’ education. You have to ensure transportation means: to take the woman from her village to the healthcenter where she can have medical intervention. It is a whole system that has to be put in place.

What is making things worse is that many skilled midwives, nurses and doctors are migrating. And so, the whole issue of human resources is becoming serious. We, at UNFPA, have started working with the International Federation of Midwives to put in place the training of midwives in many countries.

Was there anything at this conference to encourage you to think that the next 20 years might be better than the last 20?

Yes, I think this conference has energized people. Donors, NGOs, ministers of health, and UN have all looked at one another and said, “We can’t do it alone. We have to be together; otherwise, we cannot deliver”. We know each of us has some advantage that can fill the gap that the other cannot. Even though this is common sense, it somehow hits home very hard that more fragmentations cannot work over the next 20 years. This is a very important message that came out.

The other important message that came out is that the right to health is a human right. With that, maternal health becomes a very basic human right. This can change the way things are looked at – so that human rights organizations don’t just look at torture, imprisonment and so on, but see that the needless death of women is also a violation of human rights.

Steve Chadwick Appointed Minister of Conservation, Women Affairs and Health

Wellington, October 31: Ms. Steve Chadwick, MP (New Zealand), Chair of the New Zealand Parliamentarians’ Group on Population and Development, and Chair of AFPPD’s Standing Committee on Women, was appointed by Prime Minister Helen Clark (New Zealand) as the new Minister of Conservation, Women Affairs and Health. Aside from her, Ms. Maryan Street became Minister of Housing, and Ms. Shane Jones became Minister of Building and Construction.

Ms. Chadwick said, “I am excited about the challenges that are ahead of me to manage these three portfolios”, adding that, “These portfolios are about protecting and promoting the health of land, women, families and well-being. The appointment means that I can now discuss issues around the cabinet table instead of nipping at the heels of ministers from outside the executive. I will continue to work on reducing family violence and sexual abuse, improving the health of all New Zealanders, and creating opportunities to enhance balance between work and play. I have learned how the parliament works, have experience in all three areas, and am more than ready to step up to the challenges ahead”.

AFPPD Parliamentarians Reviewed Haiti’s Poverty Reduction Strategies

Port-au-Prince, September 12-17: The Parliamentary Network on World Bank and the World Bank (WB) organized a parliamentarians’ field visit to Haiti which was participated by AFPPD parliamentarians: Ms. Darlene Custodio (Philippines), Ms. Tuenjai Deetes (Thailand) and Mr. Phan Trong Khanh (Vietnam). The visit aimed to broaden the input of parliamentarians in the design of Haiti’s poverty reduction strategies and to foster a better understanding of WB’s work. The study tour included meetings with the local parliamentarians, government officials, and representatives from NGOs and civil societies.

Parliamentarians met with development partners to understand how donor coordination were done. They also emphasized the need for strong support to agricultural development, good governance and human development; and the need to ensure that the benefits of economic growth trickle down to the poor. A session with local parliamentarians also provided the visitors a chance to learn the challenges and opportunities faced by the country.

UNFPA’s Efforts on Women Empowerment Underscored by Ban Ki-Moon

New York, October 2: Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, stressed that the empowerment of women is vital in achieving peace, security, improved living standards and respect for human rights. During the Americans for UNFPA’s “Gala for the Health and Dignity of Women”, he informed that too many women were subjected to violence, died during pregnancy and childbirth as their right to sexual and reproductive health was denied, and infected with HIV because they do not have the power to protect their own health. “All of these underscore the importance of UNFPA’s efforts”, he said. Mr. Ki-moon also encouraged donor countries to continue their support to UNFPA.

Highlight

Exploring New Frontiers on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Women and Youth in Asia-Pacific