UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
|
| UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) |
|
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The electronic preparation of this document has been done by the
Population Information Network(POPIN) of the United Nations Population
Division in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme
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AS WRITTEN
AFRICA'S VIEWS AND RATIONALE
ON THE BRACKETED ISSUES (Chapter VII and VIII)
A Briefing Note
Prepared By
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
and
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
August 1994.
THE BRACKETED ISSUES
A.
Introduction
1. Some of the phrases and concepts used in chapters V, VII and
VIII of the draft programme of action of the ICPD caused a hot debate
and also disagreement among delegates of the Holy See, Latin American
and few African countries during the Third Session of the Preparatory
Committee for the ICPD held at New York, USA, 4-22 April 1994.
2. These phrases and concepts which were controversial were put in
brackets until consensus will be reached in the Pre-Conference meeting
of the ICPD scheduled to take place 3-4 September 1994 at Cairo.
B.
The Meanings of Some of the Phrases and Concepts Put in Brackets
3. Fertility Regulation: This concept refers to the idea of being
able to decide on the number of children, timing and spacing of births
or postponing pregnancy through the use of safe contraceptives. it also
implies the availability of the information and the service needed for
fertility regulation.
4 Sexual and Reproductive Rights: This mainly refers to the basic
rights of individuals and couples to have children and to be able to
decide the number, spacing and timing of their children. Sexual and
reproductive rights also imply that reproduction is a decision of
individuals made on their own free will and love to each other without
coercion or violence. The violation of sexual and reproductive rights
and the lack of information and service to regulate fertility usually
force women to resort to abortion.
5. Sexual and Reproductive Health: This refers to information and
education activities pertaining human sexuality and human reproduction.
This is an important service both to adolescents and even adult people
because this enable people to know and understand the growth and
development of the human body in general and the sex organs in
particular. Knowledge on how pregnancy occurs, the sexually transmitted
diseases and their prevention; family planning and the responsibilities
of men and women on their sexual behaviour and in reproduction are all
dealt in sexual and reproductive health education.
6. Pregnancy Termination: This is a medical concept which implies
safe abortion performed by a qualified medical personnel in case of a
rape, incest or during a complicated pregnancy which threatens the life
of the mother.
7. Family Planning and Reproductive Health: This is a strong
maternal and child health services including family planning. Family
planning is a programme which enables families to freely decide on the
number, timing and spacing of their advocated or recommended as a right
or as a method to be used. What is being suggested or recommended
instead is safe motherhood, family planning, reproductive rights and
reproductive health which are essential health services and key to avoid
the risks of undergoing the termination of pregnancy.
D.
The Health Situation of Mothers and Children in Africa
15. The health status of mothers and children in Africa is perhaps
one of the lowest among the regions of the world. Out of the half
million women dying every year world wide, from causes related to
pregnancy and child birth, 150,000 of them are Africans. The maternal
mortality ratio in Africa is 640 per 100,000 live births compared to
only 30 in the developed countries. This extremely high maternal
mortality ratio is very much compounded by the high fertility rate of
women in Africa which is above 6 children per woman.
Table 1 Estimates of Maternal Deaths and Maternal Mortality Ratio
by Regions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ser.No Region Number of maternal Maternal mortality
deaths (in thousands) per 100,000 live birth
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Africa 150 640
2. Asia 308 420
3. Latin America 36 270
4. Developed Countries 6 30
5. World 500 390
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: ECA/POP/TP/88/2 (1.3)
Addis Ababa, September 1 989.
16. The average infant mortality rate in Africa of 114 deaths per
1000 live births is two times higher than the average in Western Europe
and North America and twice as high as that prevailing in Latin America.
Table 3 Adolescent pregnancy rate among girls aged 15-19 years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region Percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa 18
Latin America 8
North America 5
Europe 3
Asia 3
Oceanic 3
Source: UNICEF and OAU, Africa's Children, Africa's Future, Dakar,
Senegal, 1992.
20. Unplanned and unwanted pregnancies among women also become
causes of many deaths. Such women in the absence of other choices go for
illicit abortion and easily loose their lives or if they survive death
they suffer a life long disabilities and handicap of their bodies.
21. This is the actual situation and realities we are faced within
Africa. Very high maternal, infant and child mortality. The root causes
of these high infant, child and maternal mortalities are: Poverty,
ignorance and lack of essential health services. Others include
urbanization, changing life style, weakening family ties, breakdown of
traditional values that ban premarital sexual activity inadequate sex
information and education and above all low rates of use of
contraceptive methods and lack of access to them.
E.
Conclusion
22. The health problems of African women and children cannot be
solved unless actions are taken to drastically improve the roles and
status of women.
23. The organization and delivery of essential health care
(reproductive health care) which promotes safe motherhood and child
survival through a strong maternal and child health care including
family planning are the means to avoid not only early death and
suffering of women and children but also the risk of terminating
pregnancy.