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Issue
March - April  2002

Steering Committee Meeting on the International Parliamentarians Conference on ICPD

Ms. Imelda Henkin, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA, delivered the opening remarks. She said "it has already been more than seven years since the ICPD in Cairo and over two years since the ICPD+5 in The Hague. There is no doubt that governments have come a long way in fulfilling the commitments made in Cairo, but there is also no doubt that governments still lag behind in many areas.

We are facing two major challenges and these are; meeting the resource needs to finance the ICPD agenda, and creating and nurturing an enabling environment at the national level through positive changes in national population and development policies, programmes and legislation. Parliamentarians have to play a major role in pushing these two issues forward.

Need to Strengthen Cooperation and Information

Ms. Imelda Henkin

She continued, "around the world, parliamentarians are well organised and ready to take collective action, but we need to strengthen cooperation and information to maximise results. We need a system where parliamentarians from all regions can share a heightened sense of partnership, achievement and continuity. In other words, we need to make sure that the declaration passed in each parliamentary conference does not become a forgotten document but a living continuation with each regional group supporting it, thus keeping their commitment alive.

Together we have made progress in the past eight years since Cairo, and together we can ensure that the Cairo goals become reality for millions of people around the world."

Mr. Stirling Scruggs, Director IERD / UNFPA, reviewed the purpose and proposed outline of the conference. Ms. Harumi Kodama, Public Affairs Officer, IERD / UNFPA, presented the draft agenda, Dr. Hernan Sanhueza presented the draft timelines of the preparation, and Mr. Richard Synder spoke on the statement of commitment and strategic framework. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Diane Marleau, MP Canada, (CAPPD).

Mr. Yoshio Yatsu was elected as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee.

From L. to R: Ms. Mina Elias, PGA - Ms. Sarah Craven, Chief IERD / UNFPA - Ms. Carolyn Maloney, Congresswoman, USA - Ms. Theresa Ameley Tagoe, MP Ghana, Deputy Minister for Works and Housing	From L. to R: Mr. Don Casey, Consultant - Ms. Anne Mette Kjaerby, Parliamentary and Policy Advisor, All Party Parliamentary Group, UK - Ms. Katie Tell, Programme Officer, PGA - Ms. Shazia Rafi, Secretary General, PGA
	Dr. Hernan Sanhueza, Executive Coordinator, IAPG - Mr. Alvaro Alonso, MP Uruguay, Minister of Labor and Social Security, IAPG - Ms. Carla Rivera-Avni, Director of Programmes, IAPG - Ms. Marja-Leena Oja, Programme Officer LAC / UNFPA

Mr. Shuyun Xu Appointed as New UNFPA/APD Chief

Mr. Shuyun Xu, a Chinese national, has been appointed as the Director of the Asia-Pacific Division of UNFPA. He is taking over from Mr. M. Nizamuddin who retired this April.

18th APDA Meeting - Tokyo

Water and Sanitation is Vital for Human Survival

18th Asian Parliamentarians Meeting on Population and Development

Tokyo
� It is said that the next world war will be fought not over oil, but over water. This prophecy appears to be coming true as many regional conflicts are centred on water sources and water disputes are apparent in many countries. Keeping this in mind, AFPPD and APDA have both been trying to draw the attention of parliamentarians to the basics of water problems; ie., ever-growing populations. The Asian Population and Development Association devoted its 18th Asian Parliamentarians Meeting to �Water and Sanitation,� March 27-28, 2002.

Dr. Taro Nakayama, MP and Chairman of APDA, opened the meeting by asking parliamentarians from seventeen countries, all members of AFPPD, to give special attention to the issue of water and sanitation, which are both vital for the very survival of mankind.

Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP, Chairman of AFPPD, under whose cooperation the meeting was organised, said that the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, (AFPPD), is working with national parliamentarian groups to highlight the issue of water and its relationship with population from national to village level elected representatives.

Mr. Kunio Waki, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA, spoke at the meeting. He revealed that over 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, while 2.5 billion lack adequate sanitation. Many countries facing water scarcity today are low-income communities with rapidly growing populations, generally not able to make costly investments in water-saving technologies. The provision of safe drinking water becomes a greater challenge as economic development and population growth place increased demands on limited water resources. Eighty percent of the global population without access to improved sanitation and almost two-thirds without access to improved water supply are Asians.

Mr. Waki went on to say that we have also learnt that population growth today remains a phenomenon of major concern for unsustainable production and consumption. "While relative population growth rates have fallen in recent years, we are still facing today an absolute increase of 75 million people per year. Much of this growth is taking place in Asia and the Pacific region � especially in the already populous countries of India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Rapid urbanisation will also continue, with the proportion of Asia�s population living in urban areas growing from currently 37 percent to 51 percent in 2025," Mr. Waki explained.

"To meet the international development target of halving the population without water access in Asia and the Pacific alone, an estimated additional 980 million people will need access to water supply and an additional 1.5 billion people will need access to sanitation facilities. Women, the elderly and children form a disproportionate share of those who are adversely affected. This is the challenge facing us today."

Mr. Waki emphasised that women fulfill a crucial role as agents for development and as guardians of progress. Appropriate support in line with the recommendations of the 1994 ICPD POA, can enhance women�s choices regarding reproduction, their reproductive health, education, economic participation and their key role as resource managers for sustainable development. He reiterated that women need the means to be guardians of water and food security as they make up half of the world�s agricultural workforce. "They need guaranteed access to credit, to basic social, environmental and economic services for agricultural and resource management," he said.

In her address, IPPF Director General, Ms. Ingar Brueggemann stated that "as population increases, the amount of fresh water available to each person decreases. For example, Canada and China have approximately equal supplies of renewable fresh water. Yet due to the vast difference in the size of their populations, each person in China has less than 3 percent of the fresh water available to each Canadian.

Population growth in one country can reduce the amount of fresh water available not only to its citizens, but also to those of neighbouring countries that share the same water source. For instance, the Blue Nile originates in Ethiopia yet provides Egypt with more than 85 percent of its water supply. As Ethiopia�s population increases � the UN projects it will at least triple within 50 years � the resulting increase in its demand for water threatens to seriously reduce the river�s flow into Egypt."

Ms. Brueggemann lamented that the 1.1 billion people without access to water sources and the 2.4 billion without basic sanitation include the poorest people in the world � and some of the unhealthiest. She commented that the first step towards alleviating poverty is to acknowledge the many components, as well as note the major contribution of water and sanitation to poverty alleviation.

Ms. Brueggemann ended by saying "as parliamentarians, you have a potentially powerful role as leading advocates on issues raising awareness and action at the highest political level. The development agenda is a full one, but you have the opportunity to influence and shape this agenda at the national level and beyond.

As parliamentarians, you also have the opportunity to influence your country�s annual budget, including the allocation of ODA. You can open doors for discussions in society on population and development matters and work in collaboration with NGOs � something that we have, and I know will continue to do successfully."

Global Society and Water in the 21st Century

Dr. Kazuo Takahashi, Professor at the International Christian University, Japan, is an expert and an important member of the Global Water Commission and his presentation on global water issues was, therefore, very informative. Dr. Takahashi commenced by explaining that human history is characterised by a struggle to secure water for life until the beginning of the Industrial Revolutions: religions, cultures, socio-political structures, civilisations, all revolving around water.

For over two centuries, it has been thought that other major issues such as colonialism, revolution and world wars have been the dominant issues for humanity, whereas water, in fact, continued to be the major concern for the majority of humanity.

He continued by saying that governance is the key concept. In the water sector, governance has been recognised as the major issue for these past two decades ever since a comprehensive and integrated approach to water issues was proposed by Dr. White of the United States in the late 1940s. In the coming months up to and beyond Johannesburg, (August � September 2002), traditional governance issues in the water sector in the context of increasing importance of security concerns are bound to be discussed.

"Social trust in most developing countries has been undermined by colonialism, modernisation and market-based globalistation," he said. " the dramatic increase in armed conflicts is the final blow to social trust in these societies. Peace-building of these societies has to be centered around efforts to re-establish social trust in each of these countries. Community-building, health sector development and primary education are the starting points for these efforts. Water is an essential component in all of these endeavors."

In the context of financing water development, Dr. Takahashi pointed out that the Report of the World Commission for Water in the 21st Century estimated that US$180 billion need to be invested in the water sector each year in the developing world so that a water secure world may be established. The current total ODA being around US$56 billion a year, (around US$3 billion for the water sector), and as was recently indicated by the US and the European Union, reaching probably close to US$65 billion globally, (US$ 5 billion for the water sector).

"Desalination of sea waters has been pursued for decades, in particular since 1967 when the US President, Mr. Johnson, launched the �Water for Peace� programme," elaborated Dr. Takahashi. "It is generally estimated that if the cost of desalination comes down to 55 cents for one cubic metre, it should be financially feasible to apply it widely. The current cost being around 95 cents with an accelerating downward trend, it is expected that the cost may come down to 55 cents in five or six years time. The desalination technology may suddenly become a high priority item in water stressed countries in the near future. In particular, poorer countries among them will be keenly interested in it.

In conclusion, he remarked, "a technology which is developed and owned by a private firm is normally transferable only as a business transaction. However, as in the case of medicine for HIV/AIDS in South Africa, will this technology be available to poorer countries virtually free of charge due to the perception that water is the essence of life, thus can not be exploited by a business firm?"

L. to R. Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit - Dr. Tarokuwa

Prof. Eimatsu Takakuwa, Hokkaido University, spoke on the sea and land on the earth, distribution of water, sanitation, and he also revealed the importance of female, adult literacy as a contributing factor to help decrease infant mortality. Prof. Takakuwa narrated in detail several arising problems that will result because of unhygienic water supply. He warned that if our populations continue to increase, no amount of help can save us from potentially devastating water and environmental catastrophes.

Dr. Hatcho, Kinki University, commenced by saying, "In addition to the benefits derived through irrigation development such as increased availability of food and income, negative impacts associated with irrigation development are reported such as; water-logging and salinization, water pollution through the application of fertilizers and chemicals, drying up of river flow such as the Yellow River, and the expansion of water-borne disease and associated health damages. Irrigation developments have often created favourable conditions or environments for transmitting water-related, vector-borne diseases such as malaria, Japanese encephalitis, filarias, schistosomiasis, (bilharzias), etc. These are parasitic diseases that are transmitted by a vector, (mostly mosquitoes), or have an intermediate host, (snail for schistosomiasis), that is dependant on water for its development. Averting the transmission of water-borne diseases and the spread of vectors is important by preventing further vector production through appropriate environment and water management, and minimising the reduction of production level at the same time.

Regarding Japanese encephalitis, he told participants that the disease is closely related to rice production and mainly found in South, South-East and East Asia. It occurs in epidemic outbreaks with high mortality rates among children. Pigs are the main amplifying host of the virus and migratory birds are suspected to play a role also. He pointed out that mosquito vectors breed primarily in rice fields in temperate and tropical zones.

Dr. Hatcho continued by saying that lymphatic filariasis puts more than 1 billion people at risk in more than eighty countries in the world. Over 120 million have already been affected by the disease, and over 40 million of them are seriously incapacitated and disfigured by filariasis. One third of the people infected with the disease live in India, one third are in Africa, and the remainder are in Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. In tropical and subtropical areas where lymphatic filariasis is well-established, the prevalence of infection is continuing to increase. The disease is caused by thread-like, parasitic filarial worms that live almost exclusively in humans.

These worms lodge in the lymphatic system, the network of nodes and vessles that maintain the delicate fluid balance between the tissues and blood, and which is an essential component for the body�s immune and defense system. In its most obvious manifestations, lymphatic filariasis causes enlargement of the entire leg or arm, and the genitals.

He concluded by saying "in addition to the challenges of producing more food with less water, we have to face global, environmental degradation, including global warming, accompanying a significant variation of environmental conditions. These variations can influence the existence and breeding of vectors that transmit diseases, leading to possible disease outbreaks. For the planning and implementation of water-development projects, health impacts should be assessed from the planning stage, and necessary mitigation methods should be incorporated with the involvement of users of local resources. The cost for mitigation is usually comparably smaller than the remedial costs required after the breakout of disease and infection."

L. to R: Ms. Kelly Hoare, MP, Australia - Mr. Yasumoto Magara - Mr. Yuri Steklov, ESCAP, Bangkok

Ms. Yamamoto, Senior Advisor, JICA, gave a presentation on water and population in rural areas. She recounted that rural women face the direct impact of water shortage in rural areas. Ground water pollution is increasing and Ms. Yamamoto pointed out that we must use appropriate technology and community participation in order to save and harvest water.

She carried on by saying that 63 percent of the Asian population does not have access to safe water and that around the world, one billion people are without water. 80 percent of the Asian population does not have access to improved sanitation, she added. Unserved water supply and lack of sanitation leads to unhygienic conditions, high morbidity and high mortality. Women and children have to work hard to fetch and carry water so there is no time for productive work and education, therefore, equating to low income. Recently, groundwater pollution of various natures are increasing worldwide and Asian countries are particularly susceptible to arsenic and fluoride groundwater pollution due to natural conditions. She explained that arsenic pollution in people manifests itself as skin cancer, and people drawing water which has a high fluoride content are afflicted with dental and bone damages. In West Bengal and Bangladesh, there are over 1 million arsenic patients, she added.

Prof. Magara, Hokkaido University, said that looking into the water environment in many newly industrialised countries, especially in the urban areas, one will see that water pollution problems all arise at once due to the increase in population and the negative effects of industrialisation. He remarked that it is very difficult to directly apply experiences in the industrialised countries to developing or newly industrialised countries and that it is necessary for us to establish and support suitable standards and regulations for each country. This is because each country�s case is unique and the nature, culture, science and technology of each country must be taken into consideration.

Mr. Yuri Steklov, Economic Affairs Officer, Water and Natural Resources Section, ESCAP, also gave a presentation on water and cities. Mr. Steklov informed participants that water use in Asia is estimated to have increased by three times between 1950 and 2000 due to population and growth and expansion of irrigated agriculture and industries. He revealed that the demand for water in urban areas often exceeds available water supplies.

Cities are responsible for polluting many water resources through sewage and municipal waste water, industrial effluent, and polluted urban run-off. Mr. Steklov stressed the need for improving water conservation policies, and he also felt strongly that public awareness campaigns and educational programmes on water conservation should be increased so people are aware of the gravity of the situation.

L. to R: Ms. Phillida Bunkle, MP New Zealand - Rep. Emilio Marcias II, Philippines - Ms. Napsiah Binti Omar, MP Malaysia, Acting Secretary General, AFPPD - Mr. Yuen Guang, MP China - Dr. V. Saroja, MP - Mr. Surya Chandra Surapaty, MP Indonesia

L. to R: Ms. Kayoko Shimizu, MP Japan - Dr. Taro Nakayama, MP Japan and Chairman APDA - Mr. Zhang Huaixi, MP China, Vice-Chair AFPPD - Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, MP Japan, Chairman AFPPD

The 18th APDA / AFPPD Meeting concluded with Dr. Taro Nakayama, MP, Chair of APDA, Mr. Zhang Huaixi, MP China and Vice Chair AFPPD, and Mr. Tsuguo Hirose, Executive Director, APDA, thanking participants for their support.

APDA - 20th Anniversary

APDA Celebrates 20 Years of Progress

The Asian Population and Development Association, (APDA), was founded in 1981 in order to highlight the issues of population and development, and to enhance Japan�s participation in these areas in Asia. APDA was also mandated to provide support to the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population and Development, (JPFP), and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, (AFPPD).

L. to R: Mr. Yasuo Fukuda - Mr. Tsuguo Hirose - Dr. Taro Nakayama

During the last twenty years, APDA has not only established a prominent place for itself as a population and development NGO in Japan and Asia, but has also worked hard to enhance Japanese parliamentarians� involvement in population and development issues and provided active support for resource mobilisation for population and development.

On the 27th of March, APDA celebrated its 20th anniversary at the New Otani Hotel, Tokyo by organising a reception which was attended by a large number of Asian parliamentarians and VIPs.

Mr. Yasuo Fukuda

"My father was one of the founders of APDA and AFPPD. I have seen them grow and I am indeed happy that both of these organisations contribute significantly towards strengthening ties with parliamentarians, other NGOs, and also involving Japanese parliamentarians in development efforts."

Mr.Chikara Sakaguchi

"Population, health and HIV/AIDS are the most pressing problems faced by the developing countries. Japan has and will continue to contribute towards better quality of life for people around the world. Japan gives particular attention to HIV/AIDS. Japanese parliamentarians havean important role to play working with parliamentarians from the third world countries, and in particular, on health and population issues, especially HIV/AIDS."

Mr. Yoshio Yatsu

"The current status of the parliamentarian�s movement, which was started in Asia with support from Japan, India, and China, has now been recognised the world over. APDA has contributed significantly to involving Japanese parliamentarians in population and development related areas, whilst AFPPD has become not only an Asian parliamentarian�s platform, but also has established global links with other parliamentary groups."

Dr. Taro Nakayama

"The Asian Population and Development Association, (APDA), has provided support to the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population, (JPFP), the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, (AFPPD), and the International Medical Parliamentarians Organisation, (IMPO), in their development. APDA has enhanced the role of Japanese parliamentarians to the regional and global level. It has also worked to help UNFPA and IPPF with the Government of Japan. These tasks have made APDA an experienced organisation amongst Japanese NGOs. It will also take on the new role as the platform for Asian-Pacific NGOs in the future."

Ms.Yoriko Kawaguchi

"The Asian Population and Development Association has given a great deal in order to promote the relationship of Japanese parliamentarians with their counterparts not only in Asia, but on other continents as well. The organisation has contributed notably towards the foreign policy goals of Japan."

Dr. Prasop Ratanakorn

" I witnessed the birth of APDA and worked with others to ensure APDAs growth. The organisation has done very useful work in supporting the Japanese parliamentarian�s movement through JPFP and AFPPD."

Time to Take Action - HIV/AIDS Seminar in Nepal

L. to R: Dr. Hernando Agudelo, UNFPA deputy Representative - Ms. Chitra Lekha Yadav, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives - Mr. Madhav Kumar, Nepal Leader of Opposition Party - Mr. Tara Nath Ranabhat, Speaker of the House of Representatives - Mr. Sharat Singh Bhandari, Minister for Health, Mr. Narendra Bahadur Bam, Chairman, Population and Social Welfare Committee, House of Representatives - Mr. Shankar P. Pandey, MP, House of Representatives - Mr. Surya Kiran Gurung, Secretary, House of Representatives

Participants comprising members of the National Planning Commission, Secretaries and His Majesty�s Government officials, (Nepal), representatives from INGOs, NGOs, and over one hundred MPs attended the �Workshop on the Role of Parliamentarians on HIV/AIDS,� which took place on the 27th of February, 2002, Kathmandu.

The one day seminar, which had financial and technical support from AFPPD, UNFPA and UNAIDS, was organised by the Population and Social Welfare Committee of the Parliament of Nepal. Mr. Taranath Ranabhat, Speaker of the House of Representatives, inaugurated the meeting chaired by Mr. Narendra Bahadur Bam, MP and Population and Social Committee Chair. Mr. Shankar Prasad Pandey, MP, said in his welcome speech that the culture of silence should be broken when dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue. Dr. Hernando Agudelo, Deputy Representative, UNFPA, urged parliamentarians to support HIV/AIDS awareness activities in their constituencies. Mr. Nikom Chourkittisopon, Senator Thailand, represented AFPPD. Mr. Madhar Kumar, MP, Ms. Chitra Lekha Yadav, MP, and Mr. Sharat Singh Bhandari, Minister of Health, also spoke at the meeting.

Mr. Bhandari, Minister of Health, chaired the working session. Dr. Shyam Sunder Mishra, Director, National Centre for AIDS and STD, gave a presentation on the HIV/AIDS situation in Nepal. Dr. Bhabsidhar Mishra, Member, Population and Social Committee, summarised the commitment made during the UNGASS on HIV/AIDS in New York, 2001, and underlined the role of parliamentarians at the international, national and constituency level. Mr. Michael Hahn, Country Programme Advisor, UNAIDS Nepal, underlined the role of parliamentarians in promoting an enabling environment for bringing about changes in people�s knowledge, behaviour, attitude and opinion.

IAPPD, (Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development), organised a meeting with a high level Japanese Parliamentary delegation led by Hon. Mr. Housei Norota, MP at Chokhi Dhani, near Jaipur, (Rajasthan), during their visit to India. Members of IAPPD and the Japanese delegation are seen here with a traditional cultural group of Rajasthan. Others include Ministers of Rajasthan Government; Mr. Khel Singh Rathore, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Tyyab Hussain, Agriculutre Minister, Mr. Rajinder Singh, Information Minister, Mr. Manmohan Sharma, Executive Secretary, IAPPD with Mr. Housei Norota, MP, (in the black jacket), and other members of the delegation.

Leaders from Disadvantaged Regions Come Together to Discuss Population and RH Policies - Vietnam

VAPPD conducted a �Workshop on Training for Elected People on Population and RH Policies in Most Disadvantaged Districts,� following a similar meeting, which was organised through an AFPPD-funded, small grant project. Attendance was high with over 150 elected people from forty-five of the most impoverished districts participating.

The meeting, which was held on the 25 � 26 of April in Ha Giang Province, was opened by Prof. Ton That Bach, Vice Chair of VAPPD, and Hon. Giang Van Quay, Ha Giang Governor, gave the keynote address. Resource persons from the National Committee for Population and Family Planning, Ministry of Health, National Center for Population and Development Study, National Institute of Nutrition, and some of the elected representatives from the provinces, gave presentations.

Intercountry Workshop on HIV/AIDS - Bangkok

Promoting Interactive Dialogue between Young People and Governments

A workshop based on the theme �Adolescent RH and HIV/AIDS Prevention � Networking between Young People and Government,� was held in Bangkok on the 18th to the 22nd of March, 2002. The Intercountry Workshop on Networking and Partnership between Young People and Government on HIV/AIDS Prevention in East and South-East Asia was organised by AFPPD and UNFPA/CST in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of the Government of Japan, (MHLW), the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services, (JICWELS), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS / South-East and Pacific Intercountry Team, (UNAIDS/SEAPICT).

Over a period of five days, over one hundred participants attended the workshop including resource persons, experts and representatives from various UN agencies, NGOs, ministries and other organisations from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao/PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The goal of the workshop was to bring together national AIDS programme managers and other partners, including youth representatives in order to share South-to-South experiences in HIV/AIDS prevention. There was to be particular focus on ARH as well as to discuss how to work together as partners in preventing HIV infections among young people and ensure they have access to information, education and services through networking. This, to promote interactive dialogue and networking, to deepen awareness and enhance appreciation of issues and concerns surrounding HIV/AIDS, and to identify practical approaches and recommendations for further action.

What Do Young People Need and What is Available to Them for HIV/AIDS Prevention?
Youth Perspectives

Session I - Youth Representatives from Cambodia, Mongolia, Lao/PDR and Myanmar

Ms. Mitra Vasisht

Youth representatives according to various geographical groupings gave individual presentations, providing country-specific information on the HIV/AIDS situation in their countries, access to information and services for youth as well as information about youth participation. These presentations were followed by situation analyses on HIV/AIDS with a focus on prevalence among young people, (page 7), given by Mr. Tim Brown, Senior Fellow, East-West Center / UNAIDS, and Ms. Chomnad Manopaiboon, Behaviour Research Coordinator, Thailand Ministry of Public Health - US Centers for Disease Control Collaboration. The session was chaired by Ms. Mitra Vasisht, Senior Advisor on Regional Issues to the United Nations Resident Coordinator, UNDP / Thailand.  

Youths Take Risks
(Cambodia)

Mr. Son San, Peer Educator, HURI PRUDA, Cambodia

Many beliefs contribute to the vulnerability of young people in Cambodian Society. Traditional medicine is sometimes presented as miraculous and capable of stopping diseases,bullets and other dangers. HIV/AIDS is seen as a trick of the pharmacuetical industry to sell condoms and medicines.

Changes in School Programmes Needed
(Mongolia)

Ms. Delgermaa Tumendemberel, Student, Mongolia	Ms. Agiimaa, Medical Student, Mongolia

As young, Mongolian girls, we are very concerned about the HIV/AIDS situation in our country and how this affects other young people our own ages.

HIV/AIDS has become the most outstanding health and social issue of the 21st Century and this makes growing up for our generation particularly treacherous. It is our opinion that there should be changes made to our school programmes. We believe that from 6th grade, we should attend classes on the maturity process of boys and girls and that at a higher level, we must be educated on reproductive health and problems relating to RH before we finish school.

Many Young People are too Shy to Buy Condoms
(Lao/PDR)

Mr. Inpanh Borihane -   Vientiane Youth Centre, Lao/PDR	Mr. Vanhphasouk Souliath, Vientiane Youth Centre, Lao/PDR

Young people are not really aware of the HIV/AIDS situation in Lao/PDR. They hear small pieces of information about HIV from the TV and the radio or perhaps from reading articles in papers, but the greatest source of information is from discussion with friends: and often the information is inaccurate. Very often young people will take the risk of having unprotected sex because they are too shy to buy condoms. In most cases if they believe they have an STI, they will worry about seeing a doctor as they will have to give their names.

Older People Try to Keep Youth in Ignorance of Sexual Issues (Myanmar)

	Above: Ms. Ma May Zin Win Maw, Youth Representative, Red Cross, Myanmar - L. to R: Ms. Ma Moh Moh Kott, Youth Representative.MMCWA - Mr. Maung Lin Htet Aung, Youth Representative, MMCWA

The major problem youth are confronting is lack of solid information. Traditional perceptions of parents and older people exacerbates this as they fail to realise that young people need to have sex knowledge and be aware of the consequences of sexual mishaps in order to protect themselves. Adults need to realise that prevention of HIV/AIDS can�t be achieved successfully without the participation of youth.

Ms. Ren Lan, Coordinator of Peer ARH Education Program, Youth Volunteer�s Association, China

In China, services for contraception, diagnosis and treatment of STDs, abortion and counselling, although widely available due to the strong national family planning programme, are rarely tailored towards unmarried youth. There is also a lack of information on HIV/AIDS prevention and misinformation on PLWA. Youth-friendly services, including condom provision and counselling, should be further developed and with better information, youth will increase their awareness of self-protection and dispel their fears and discrimination against PLWA.

Ms. Jermelyn de Leon Morales, Student, Philippines

Due to conservative, cultural norms in the Philippines, talking about sexual matters is taboo in the family and parents normally don�t discuss issues on sex with their children. The media is liberal, however, and very informative on such matters. The church plays a vital role in molding the lifestyle of Filipinos, but it still does not advocate the use of contraceptives and religious leaders will only advocate abstinence from sexual activities for the unmarried and being faithful to spouses for couples.

Mr. Chinnapat Chin, Student, Thailand	Ms. Souvanit Nakonthum, Student, Thailand

Information concerning the risks of STI and HIV/AIDS is widely available at bookstores throughout the country, but more often than not, teenagers don�t bother to seek out this information due to the �it will never happen to me� attitude. Most teenagers fear pregnancy more than HIV/AIDS infection. This is mainly due to social perception that pregnancy before marriage will bring shame on the family. Teenagers �forget� that HIV/AIDS leads to death and that contraception such as the pill are ineffective to prevent the transmission of HIV.

Ms.Mawar Nita Pohan, Project Assistant for HIV/AIDS, IPPA, Indonesia

Many young people think that HIV/AIDS is a �dirty� disease, only contracted by people who engage in so called �dirty� activities such as prostitution, homosexuality and drug abuse. Although many Indonesian youths have heard of HIV/AIDS and are scared of it, the use of condoms is still not popular.

Ms. Shalinee Naidu, Youth Volunteer, Malaysia

People talk about increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS and yet youths are only given bits and pieces of information simply because adults think that we are too young to handle such issues. Education is the best weapon. If the younger generation has access to correct information about HIV/AIDS, then perceptions of sexual conduct and attitudes toward PLWA will change.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Cuong, Student, Vietnam

It is important to recognise that sex practice and sexuality concerns play a large part in young people�s lives. HIV/AIDS programmes and activities for young people should be creative, exciting and address the real needs of young people. The opportunity for youths,instead of adults, to design, implement, monitor and evaluate ARH and HIV/AIDS prevention programmes based on young people�s needs and concerns would be a step in the right direction in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

In his presentation, Mr. Tim Brown provided hard-hitting statistics depicting the HIV/AIDS situation and its impact on youth in Asia.

In tracing the evolution of the HIV epidemic in Asia from 1984 to 1999, he described where new epidemics were occuring (China, Cambodia, Japan, Nepal and Vietnam), in addition to those in India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand.

Mr. Brown described the need for youth-focused programmes, such as those that would provide young people with the sexual knowledge and life skills they need to protect themselves against infection.

Dr. Manopaiboon described the situation in Chiang Rai, Thailand, with regard to premaritial sex, drug use, unwanted pregnancy and abortion, and STDs including HIV/AIDS.

She explained that it can not be denied that young people engage in risky behaviour and, therefore, access to counselling services and accurate information is essential.

Dr. Manopaiboon did point out, however, that providing youth with �appropriate� information was very difficult and she went on to describe what had been labelled a scandal recently - the publication of a sex education booklet, which government office considered inappropriate because of its language and phrasing.

Dr. Takashi Wagatsuma provided some broad definitions in the field of reproductive health as an introduction to the important issues related to adolescent sexual behaviour and the prevention of STIs including HIV/AIDS.

Based on the results of a KAP, (knowledge, attitudes and practice), study, Dr. Wagatsuma also elaborated on the sexual behaviour of unmarried women in Japan, providing statistics and charts, which showed the major changes in the sexuality of young women, especially those in the age group 16-19 years.

Dr Yutaka Ishida discussed the lessons learned from a project in northern Thailand on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

After describing the functions of the network, he demonstrated the seriousness of the problem by providing statistics on the mothers infected with HIV. A number of case studies were presented, during which he elaborated on the problems faced by HIV positive mothers and for them to gain community acceptance.

Session III - Field Trips

Session IV - Information, Education and Networking for Safe Behaviour