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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This newsletter is being made available by the Population Information
Network (POPIN) of the United Nations Population Division (DESIPA) and
Population Communication International. For further information please
contact Patrice_Newman@together.org.
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INTERNATIONAL DATELINE
A Population and Development News and Information Service
SEPTEMBER WORLD POPULATION UPDATE:
5,792,864,000 (Population Reference Bureau)
SEPTEMBER 1996
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS AND TRENDS FACING HUMANITY is contained in a comprehensive
study published jointly by four international organizations. Titled
World Resources 1996-97, the study was produced by the World
Resources Institute, the United Nations Environment Program, the U.N.
Development Program and the World Bank. The seventh report of its
kind but the first produced by the four agencies together, the series
attempts to document reliable, up-to-date, and accessible information
on environmental conditions and the underlying social, economic and
technological forces that propel them--for good or bad. The 1996-97
report concludes that there has been some progress towards reaching
certain international goals, but little or none in other critical
areas. The leaders of the four agencies say that if sustainable
development is ever to be achieved and maintained, more urgent action
is needed in the areas of energy and climate change; urbanization;
water resource management; equity, and the fulfillment of financial
commitments.
IN HONOR OF HABITAT II--THE RECENTLY-CONCLUDED UNITED NATIONS
CITY SUMMIT--the first part of World Resources 1996-97 outlines the
environmental issues and trends that face urban areas, including: the
economic costs of environmental degradation; urban poverty; threats
to human health; socio-economic inequities and their health
implications; land conversion; natural resource depletion; urban
waste disposal; threats to coastal eco-systems; urban transportation
trends; the impact of transportation-related congestion, pollution,
and safety; management of travel demand and supply; water and
sanitation; water resources management; solid waste management;
indoor and outdoor air pollution; land-use planning; and local
governments' role in sustainable development goals. The study points
out that many of the most difficult urban issues "cut across
political, economic, and institutional boundaries," noting that
cities are simultaneously "remarkable engines of economic and social
progress" and "play a central role in degrading the physical
environment..." Because more than half of the world's population
will live in urban areas by the end of the century--and almost two-
thirds by 2020, the World Resources report says, neglecting urban
environmental issues "could compromise larger economic, social, and
environmental goals in both developed and developing countries."
Urban issues cited as "particularly critical" by the report are:
water supply and sanitation; water resource management; solid waste
management, and air pollution.
POPULATION TRENDS ARE "CAUSE FOR BOTH OPTIMISM AND CONCERN" says
the World Resources report, noting that some developing countries are
moving rapidly toward population stability, while others are
experiencing rapid population growth--usually accompanied, the report
points out, by "high levels of poverty, limited progress for women,
and high levels of internal and international migration." The report
goes on to note that global population will continue to grow for many
decades to come, "reflecting the demographic inertia of countries in
which a large fraction of the population has not yet reached child-
bearing age."
OTHER INTER-RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES EXPLORED BY THE
WORLD RESOURCES STUDY INCLUDE freshwater supplies, food security,
energy and climate issues, and critical eco-systems at risk. The
report emphasizes that the demand for water is driven by growing
populations, increasing industrial activity, and irrigation for
agriculture--accounting for the largest use of water--and it
recommends making irrigation systems more efficient; removing harmful
subsidies; improving urban water distribution systems; treating both
industrial wastewater and urban sewage; and improving the cooperative
management of shared watersheds and river basins. Noting one
important link between issues, World Resources notes that many
countries facing water scarcity may not be able to support irrigated
agriculture at levels necessary to feed future populations from
domestic agricultural activities. And though it itemizes other food-
related problems such as soil erosion and overfishing, the report
points out that on a global scale, "recent assessments suggest that
global food production has the capability to keep pace with rising
global demand." Coastal eco-systems and forests are under siege in
both developed and developing countries, points out the World
Resources report. Worldwide, it says, some 51 percent of the world's
coastal eco-systems appear to be at risk of degradation from
development-related activity. And tropical forest cover declined by
20 percent between 1960 and 1990.
FEW INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES HAVE LIVED UP TO THE FINANCIAL
COMMITMENTS THEY MADE AT THE EARTH SUMMIT IN 1992, say the leaders
of the four agencies cooperating on the report. And they add that
they find many Third World leaders eager to make development more
sustainable. The report also notes that other commitments made by
governments have not been taken up in earnest. As an example, the
report cites the goals set in 1990 for reducing climate-changing
carbon dioxide emissions--goals which it says are unlikely to be met.
Instead, it says, global energy demands and carbon dioxide emissions
will continue to grow by as much as 100 percent over the next 25
years, putting many regions at serious risk from climate change.
World Resources 1996-97 singles out the poor record on carbon dioxide
emissions as "a troubling retreat" from pledges made by governments,
and concludes: "Inaction speaks louder than words."
World Resources 1996-97: A Guide to the Global Environment
consists of 365 pages of text, photographs, maps, charts and graphs
and includes a detailed 16-page index. Contact: The World Resources
Institute, 1709 New York Ave., NW, Washington DC 20006, USA.
* * * * *
IN BRIEF . . .
. . . THE UNITED NATIONS is defending itself against critics who
dismiss it as a wasteful and inefficient organization. The U.N. says
that all of its agencies, including UNICEF, the U.N. Development
Program, the U.N. Population Fund and the World Food Program, spend
about US$4.6 billion a year on economic and social development--or
about 80 cents per person worldwide. As of 1994, the U.N. points
out, the world's governments devoted about $770 billion a year to
military spending--or about US$134 per person worldwide. The total
cost of U.N. peacekeeping work in 1995--in the former Yugoslavia and
13 other places--was US$3 billion, equal to 1.1 percent of the U.S.
military budget and less than 0.3 percent of worldwide military
spending.
(Choices, United Nations Development Program, Volume 5 No. 1,
1996, New York)
. . . FARM ANIMALS around the world are threatened by an overly
selective breeding strategy that emphasizes reproductive capacity,
according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO). Because farmers have selected only a very small number of
breeds of livestock based on their ability to reproduce, the FAO
said, hundreds of less prolific farm animal breeds are at risk.
Reporting on 3,882 breeds of 28 species around the world, the FAO
classified 873 of those breeds as "at risk," meaning that fewer than
1,000 females or 20 breeding males exist. Compounding the problem,
FAO said, is that the more popular animals are raised in a relatively
low-stress environment, thereby lessening their ability to respond
to stresses like changes in climate. The report said that domestic
animal diversity "is being lost at an alarming rate," specifying that
half of the domestic animal breeds common in Europe at the turn of
the century have become extinct and 41 percent of the remaining 1500
breeds for which population data are available are rare or in
decline, the FAO said. They added that in North America over one-
third of livestock and poultry breeds are in decline. FAO experts
say they are worried that farmers will have a shrinking pool of
breeds to draw on to keep up with changing soil conditions, pests,
and new diseases.
(New York Times, 7 December 1995, New York-Rome)
. . . PLANTS growing in iron-deficient soils could prosper more
easily through the discovery of a gene that scientists' believe helps
plants uptake iron more efficiently. More than one-third of the
world's soils are iron-deficient, and the discovery could ultimately
bolster the human diet by fostering plant growth. Scientists from
two American universities cloned the gene from a common weed related
to the mustard family, and said it may be part of a class of genes
involved in controlling cells' intake of metals. (Boston Globe, 2
June 1996, Boston)
. . . TRUCKERS hauling freight in the European Union may face a new
system of road charges aimed at encouraging alternate ways of moving
cargo. Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock said that the plan is
designed to both reduce traffic congestion and protect
environmentally sensitive routes. Currently, trucks using roads in
Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Germany pay a flat
rate for their hauling permit. The new rules would allow member
states to levy extra charges for trucks using environmentally
sensitive roads and to impose lower taxes on environmentally
"cleaner" vehicles--especially newer trucks with lower emissions.
(Financial Times, 21 February 1996, London-Brussels)
. . . IN THE PAST FORTY YEARS, ordinary people's lives in developing
countries have improved steadily and dramatically, according to a new
study from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Infant mortality has dropped from 180 deaths per 1,000 births to 69
deaths per 1000. Today, the average 1-year-old in a developing
country can expect to live to age 66--26 years longer than her or his
grandparents lived. In 1961, 50 percent of the world's population
lived in countries where the average person was undernourished--
living on less than 2,200 calories a day. By 1990, that figure had
dropped to 11 percent. And seven times more people in developing
countries are literate today than in 1950. Titled What Do We Know
About World Poverty?, the study says that the progress is more
remarkable for having paralleled the most rapid population growth in
history. For copies of the report, written by James Fox, contact:
USAID Development Information Services Clearinghouse, 1621 Kent St.,
Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209-2111, USA. (USAID Developments,
Winter 1996, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington)
* * * * *
REFUGEE WOMEN MUST SHARE IN THE CONTROL OF RESOURCES in the
camps and communities into which they are thrust if they are ever to
escape exploitation and violence. That is the conclusion of Dr.
Carol Djeddah, the Head Officer for Women and Children in Emergencies
in the Family Health Division of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since 1970, the number of refugees seeking asylum outside their
countries has increased well over tenfold, and an overwhelming
proportion of them--about 80 percent, Djeddah says--are women and
children. In refugee camps and communities, women and children face
a daunting array of problems, most of them also suffered in poor
communities worldwide: lack of food and drinking water, malnutrition,
disease, unregulated fertility, high birth and death rates. But
being uprooted brings additional traumas such as family breakdown,
loss of physical and emotional security, and wide-scale violence
including rape with consequent forced pregnancies, post-traumatic
stress, unsafe abortion and social ostracism. Djeddah says that
suicide is common among rape victims.
TO AMELIORATE THE SITUATION, DJEDDAH RECOMMENDS IDENTIFYING THE
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEEDS of refugee populations and planning
programs that aim to meet those needs. She says that a minimum
package must include care related to family planning, maternal
mortality, unwanted pregnancy, sexually-transmitted diseases
including HIV/AIDS, and physical and sexual violence. Djeddah adds
that such services must be culturally appropriate, accessible to
refugees, and offer information, education, and counselling on the
prevention, detection and management of reproductive health problems
with input from the refugee women themselves. Noting that gender
inequity increases during situations of extreme violence, Djeddah
says that extra attention must be given to women's empowerment,
adolescent behavior, and to the safety and security of children.
Involving women refugees in decision-making and resource management,
Djeddah says, will increase their independence and decrease their
vulnerability to exploitation and violence. And, she emphasizes, men
must made aware of their family and community responsibilities.
Finally, the doctor concludes: "The health of refugee women and
children will become a reality only when there is a real political
will to achieve durable solutions."
(World Health, November/December 1995, WHO, Geneva)
* * * * *
ATTITUDES ABOUT GENDER ROLES IN LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION HANG ON
EVEN WHEN REALITIES SHIFT suggests a study of Nigeria's Igbo people
by Nkoli N. Ezumah of the University of Nigeria and Catherine M. Di
Domenico of the University of Abertay in the U.K. Igbo men are
traditionally responsible for yam production, while women
traditionally produce more recent crops such as cassava, beans,
maize, sweet potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables termed
"female" crops by Igbo men and women. But the study found that this
division of labor is no longer so clearly defined. In certain
circumstances, Igbo women now participate in both the planting and
harvesting of yams, while men raise cassava and other "female" crops.
But in interviews taken for the study, married men and women were
reluctant to disclose that women took part in yam production, while
men were reluctant to admit working on "female" crops in their home
bases. Only when "female" crops were being raised for commercial
purposes would men readily admit to participating in their
production. Women working independently--whether through the death
of their spouse, divorce or separation--readily admitted to raising
yams, as it enhanced their status in the Igbo community. The study's
authors note that such entrenched attitudes help explain why women's
contribution in agriculture often goes unrecognized.
"THE MONETIZATION OF THE ECONOMY" IS RELATED TO THE ADDITIONAL
AGRICULTURAL ROLES INHERITED BY NIGERIA'S IGBO WOMEN, according to
the recent study. Igbo men now work more often in non-farm or wage-
earning agricultural employment, resulting in an increased workload
for women in home-based food crop production and the breakdown of
conventional gender divisions of labor. Related to this, the study
found that currently, the majority of Igbo farmers are women and that
they participate in all farm activities, including clearing land for
planting. Despite the added burden, the study says, little has been
done to give women access to the resources necessary to carry out
their new duties. In the patrilineal Igbo society, women are barred
from inheriting land. And agricultural credit is inaccessible to
farmers of both genders--a constraint in purchasing planting material
and farm inputs. The study recommends better distribution of loans
and agricultural resources, including information on the use of
fertilizers and other agro-chemicals. It also recommends programs
that make farmers, particularly women, more informed of available
options for meeting their crucial needs.
(World Development, Vol. 23, No. 10, 1995, American University,
Washington, DC)
* * * * *
THE SECOND ECOLOGY ACTIVIST WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS
CONVICTIONS SINCE THE AWARD WAS ESTABLISHED A DECADE AGO has been
elected to the Global 500 Roll of Honor, awarded annually to both
individuals and organizations by the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP). Named to the 1996 list was Ken Saro-Wiwa, who led
his Ogoni people's resistance to the Nigerian government's human
rights abuses and complicity in the pollution of their homeland by
foreign petroleum corporations. Despite international outrage and
appeals for clemency, Saro-Wiwa, along with eight Ogoni supporters,
was executed last year by the Nigerian government for his activities.
Chico Mendes, the Brazilian rubber tapper who was murdered during his
fight to save the Amazon forest, is among 611 past winners of the
award since its inception in 1987.
THIS YEAR, SARO-WIWA WAS AMONG 21 WINNERS, including 1995 Nobel
Prize winner Paul Crutzen, whose research led to better atmospheric
protection measures; Garanti Bank of Turkey, which is committed to
conserving Turkey's natural assets; Carlos Roberto Hasbun of El
Salvador, who pursues grassroots environmental activities "without
publicity or fanfare," UNEP says; Professor Akio Morishima of Japan
for his work in environmental law and policy development; Indonesian
Bahuddin Hi Pabbite for his struggle to preserve the Maleo bird, and
Tatyana Stepanenko of Russia for finding ways to limit waste dumped
into the Newa River system and the Baltic Sea. The awards were
announced by UNEP Executive Director Elizabeth Dowdeswell at a
ceremony in Istanbul during the Habitat II international conference
on housing. For more information on current and past winners,
contact: Tore J. Brevik (Mr.) at: 254-2-62-3292; fax: 254-2-62-3692;
or Jim Sniffen in New York: 212-63-8094; fax: 212-963-7341. For
information on nominating someone for future awards, contact: UNEP
Headquarters, Global 500 Roll of Honour, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi,
Kenya.
(Press Release, 29 May 1996, UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya)
* * * * *
MANY U.S. DELEGATES TO THE UNITED NATIONS HABITAT II CONFERENCE-
-held from 3-14 June in Istanbul, Turkey--returned from Istanbul with
high praises for the conference, including both the scope of its
agenda and its richness as an international event. According to
Michael Stegman, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Policy and Research,
Habitat II "was an extraordinary experience." Stegman firmly
believes the language used in the Habitat Agenda will infiltrate and
affect national government. "Sustainable development has always been
a grassroots issue... but national policies will definitely change
as a result of Habitat II." According to Stegman, the conference
forged "extraordinary alliances" within U.S. government agencies,
including HUD, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human
Services, and the Agency for International Development. "We are
finally recognizing the need to domestically and internationally
harmonize the Rio principles of environmental protection with
economic development and social equality issues, " said Stegman.
REGARDING THE "RIGHT TO HOUSING," THE HABITAT AGENDA'S MOST
CONTENTIOUS ISSUE, Stegman contends that confusion arose "because no
one wanted to say, `What does it mean?'" Differences were finally
resolved via language stating that the provision for adequate housing
for all requires responsibility on the part of government, the
private sector, communities and individuals. "The final agenda
suggests steps to allow for the likelihood for housing, the removal
of barriers to housing," says Stegman, referring to language on
nondiscrimination and credit accessibility for women. And Stegman
is overjoyed by the acceptance of a U.S. initiative pertaining to
lead. He cites a recent World Bank report which states that
"virtually 100 percent" of children under two in developing countries
have elevated levels of lead poisoning due to atmospheric lead from
car emissions. The Habitat Agenda calls for "the elimination of lead
from gas as rapidly as possible." Stegman found it a "powerful,
moving experience" to see the language agreed on, adding: "After two
weeks of fighting, to actually see the words [in the final draft]
gave me the chills."
"LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO PROVE THEMSELVES COMPETENT, CAPABLE
AND CREATIVE" said Tim Honey, a member of the U.S. Habitat II
delegation who is the City Manager of Boulder, Colorado. Honey
attended the entire Habitat II conference, sitting in on the World
Association of Cities meeting, numerous NGO sessions, and some U.N.
negotiations--which he found "very tedious" in comparison--and
presenting a program on public and private partnerships. Honey noted
the city of Boulder's progressive approach to planning, including its
20-year master plan for transportation, whose goal is "to go beyond
the car culture as a model for development," and its "open space"
program, which has increased the area devoted to open space threefold
in the past 20 years. "We make a point of looking at the environment
through an ecosystem approach," said Honey, adding that: "We pride
ourselves on being a community focused on sustainability." Honey
sees "a huge shift taking place" in local governance. And regarding
Habitat II's impact on the future, Honey says, "the Habitat Agenda
is a mammoth document, really overwhelming, and the conference
unleashed a huge amount of energy--as can be seen especially in the
NGO Forum--which now has to be translated into something positive."
"Most important," he says, "is this new international paradigm of
democratization, decentralization and local empowerment."
MEETING WITH PEOPLE AT WORKSHOPS ON HOMELESSNESS WAS THE MOST
INTERESTING THING for U.S. Delegate Nan Roman, vice president of the
National Alliance to End Homelessness. And it was not so much what
they were doing about homelessness that Roman found important, but
instead learning "how they viewed it, what their ideological
constructions were." Roman found it fascinating to see "the
fundamental differences and similarities in looking at problems."
Roman also found it "amazing to see people from all over the world,
with such distinctive and such obvious differences in world and
philosophical views, come together and try to reach an agreement
about the problems that face everybody." Roman says that the
progress made at Habitat II was incremental, "made in the margins,"
noting that "it had more to do with attitude and how we look at
problems."
"A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD" is what U.S. delegate
Henry Flores calls the Habitat II Agenda and Global Plan of Action.
Flores, whose company works on housing development along both sides
of the U.S./Mexican border, remarks that what was said at Habitat II
about housing, and about the differences in production and
consumption between first and third world countries, shed light on
what he deals with every day. "It was an enlightening experience,"
he said, "not so much the financial mechanisms, but housing issues
from a global perspective." Flores was struck by the similarities
between Turkey and Mexico. "People are living in cardboard shacks
in both places. Especially in parts of Istanbul, I saw things that
were just the same as Mexico City--at least in the architecture and
housing." He particularly noticed "those concrete block
constructions," adding, "I could close my eyes and be in Mexico City.
I did, in fact!" Flores stresses the spirit of cooperation that
marked the conference. "We need to continue this dialogue. There is
a real sense of the world becoming the world--I know that sounds
funny, but it's becoming clear that everyone's fate and livelihood
interconnect. You can't run a country in a vacuum. And considering
the conservative turn [the U.S.] is taking, I think that's an
important message."
GIVEN THE DISSENSION BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING WORLDS,
said Gary Lawrence, director of the University of Washington's Center
for Sustainable Committees, "the [Habitat II] document turned out
surprisingly well." Lawrence was on the U.S. negotiating team and
was too busy drafting language to attend many other events. He said
he learned a great deal about the way notions of "sustainability" and
"human rights" vary from culture to culture, as interpretation of the
words was an issue in itself during negotiations. "Most interesting
was hearing everyone's different perceptions, he said, noting that
"the conference was all about the importance of learning how to
listen." On the final workmanship underlying the Habitat Agenda,
Lawrence comments: "It really is an artfully crafted document. The
language structure is amazing, the sentences are marvelous. But,
whether or not it leads to change depends on the quality of follow-
up." U.S. Habitat II delegates seem to agree on this. Like
Lawrence, they hope the agenda will be "the basis for a powerful
international set of agreements about what sort of future we prefer."
(Report by Jessica Leaman, Population Communications
International, New York)
* * * * *
MASSIVE POPULATION MOVEMENTS IN THE POST-SOVIET REPUBLICS OF
ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE HAVE BECOME UNMANAGEABLE, delegates from the
region told a two-day Geneva Conference on Refugees and Migration.
The conference was aimed at adopting a program of action in response
to widespread migration flows. The staggering migration flow began
after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the attainment of
independence by its former republics, now known collectively with the
Russian Federation as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The Belarus delegate told the conference that his country cannot cope
in isolation with waves of illegal immigrants, populations fleeing
armed conflict, and ecological refugees. The Kyrgyzstan
representative warned that the burden of 200,000 refugees on her
country of 4.5 million people could lead to destabilization.
Kyrgyzstan also reported a massive reverse migration--an outflow of
ethnic Russians. From Kazakstan, that country's representative said,
most emigrants had gone to Germany, Israel and Russia, noting that
ecological catastrophes such as the shrinking of the Aral Sea fueled
the population movement. The Georgia and Tajikistan delegates both
said that hundreds of thousands of their populations were displaced
by armed conflict, and the Georgian also cited the collapse of
economic links and such natural disasters as floods, avalanches, and
earthquakes as adding to the country's problems. All of the CIS
delegates said it would take financial and technical support from the
international community to solve the uncontrollable mass population
movements. The conference was sponsored by the International
Organization for Migration, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, and the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees.
(Press Release, 31 May 1996, U.N. Information Service, Geneva)
* * * * *
TO HELP IMPROVE AFRICA'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OUTLOOK, "the nexus"
of rising population, environmental pressures, and agricultural needs
must be dealt with as one problem, development agencies agree. Sub-
Sahara's population of 500 million has doubled since 1965 and will
double again in less than 15 years unless the average family size is
reduced substantially. In Mali, for example, the average family size
is seven children per woman. Across the drought-stricken Sahel, 20
years of tree-planting and related programs have failed to compensate
for vanishing forest cover. The annual loss of forest land is
estimated at nearly 3 million hectares a year--a loss which in turn
contributes to soil degradation and the consequent downgrading of
agricultural production. Said one farmer: "We have to work three
times as much land to get the same crop as we had 20 years ago."
Agricultural experts predict that if present conditions continue,
Africa's food shortage will reach 87 million tons within 25 years--
nearly nine time the current level. According to the International
Fund for Agriculture Development, Africa loses about 15 percent of
its potential agriculture income annually to soil erosion.
Commenting on tree-planting schemes, family planning programs, and
new farming technologies promoted by development agencies, a recent
World Bank study concludes: "Many of the most immediately attractive
remedies have been tried and failed." To head off disaster, the
World Bank suggests, the problems that contribute to Africa's present
plight must be addressed as a single challenge--not in isolation.
(Globe and Mail, 4 January 1996, Toronto, Canada)
* * * * *
NGO SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 1996
For and About NGOs and their Work
THE SUCCESS STORIES OF THREE VILLAGES IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
ILLUSTRATE what imagination and determination can accomplish in the
family planning field in the absence of conventional resources. The
small miracles were performed under the aegis of the national Family
Planning Association (FPA). The tiny, isolated communities are Korea
Village, Togo Town and Cedros--all on the Trinidad part of the two-
island nation off eastern Venezuela. The Association's secret is to
establish partnerships with local non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), service the communities by mobile units and use whatever is
at hand to substitute for clinic facilities. For example, in Korea
Village, a Central Trinidad hamlet, a recreational clubhouse
frequented by men served as a "clinic." The examination table for
the women who flocked to the center for Pap tests and family planning
information and services was a pool table covered with a mattress.
An equally unorthodox arrangement happened in Togo Town, a fishing
village in northeastern Trinidad, when the Catholic presbytery was
pressed into service as a family planning center. Ms. Hetty
Sarjeant, the Trinidad and Tobago FPA's executive director, explains:
"The principal of the local primary school, a Catholic nun, saw the
need for women of the village to have a Pap smear and requested this
service for them. She also encouraged 12 birth attendants who
normally assist midwives to acquire knowledge of family planning
methods which they could pass on to the village women."
A YOUNG WOMAN'S SUDDEN DEATH FROM CERVICAL CANCER PROMPTED THE
WOMEN OF CEDROS in southern Trinidad to appeal to the Trinidad and
Tobago FPA and the Association promptly responded. With no other
site available, it delivered Pap smear service in the bedroom of a
private home. Other sites used in Cedros have been a school and the
hall of a church. NGOs in Trinidad and Tobago that have suggested
working with FPA have include the Rape Crisis Center and the Breast
Feeding Information Service. The government's Ministry of Consumer
Affairs has also expressed an interest in participating. As Sarjeant
points out: "This collaboration has given an added boost to the
services carried out in communities, enhancing the interest and
exposing women to a wide range of issues that affect their daily
lives."
(Forum, December 1995, International Planned Parenthood
Federation, Western Hemisphere Region Inc., New York)
* * * * *
A MANUAL DESIGNED TO HELP FAMILY PLANNING PROFESSIONALS DEVELOP
MEDIA SKILLS AND STRATEGIES has been published by the Population
Information Program of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health,
located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The 27-page booklet, part of
the Population Reports series, provides information and instruction
on such issues as building a news media relations program, analyzing
reporting to better target stories, writing feature articles, and
responding to adverse coverage. Titled Helping the News Media Cover
Family Planning, the manual also outlines different ways to create
links with both print and broadcast media, clarifies the difference
between public information and public relations, and reviews many of
the practical issues that both help and hinder journalists in
carrying out their work. Also featured are helpful hints on story
writing, how to provide information, and developing effective
relationships with journalists.
`IUDs--AN UPDATE' AND `MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG ADULTS' ARE
THE TITLES OF TWO MORE RECENT REPORTS in the ongoing Johns Hopkins
Population Information Program series. IUDs--An Update provides a
comprehensive overview of all aspects of IUDs, ranging from a history
of the devices--including the controversy surrounding the Dalkon
Shield in the 1970s, to descriptions of the different types of IUDs
currently available and their performance; what's involved in IUD
insertion and removal; the possibilities of infection, and the fact
that IUDs provide no protection against sexually-transmitted
diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Also explored are the worldwide use
of IUDs and what family planning programs need to offer as part of
their IUD-related services.
`MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG ADULTS' FOCUSES ON THE CHALLENGES
FACED BY PARENTS, COMMUNITIES, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS and educators in
providing supportive, unprejudiced, informative and participatory
reproductive health and sex education programs for young adults. The
Population Reports manual emphasizes the diverse needs such programs
must serve and outlines the difficulties involved in establishing
effective services for the large and growing numbers of young adults.
According to the Johns Hopkins report, the young adult population in
developing countries will increase by over 20 percent over the next
15 years. Meeting the Needs of Young Adults outlines the varied
profile of young adulthood, including the falling average age at
puberty; age at first sexual intercourse; rising average age at
marriage; fertility patterns and contraceptive use; decision-making
opportunities, and unmet reproductive health needs. The report also
provides an overview of programs designed for young adults, and a
survey of evaluations assessing the successes and failures of the
various models. Finally, Meeting the Needs of Young Adults focuses
on finding community support for reproductive health and education
programs for young people. Two supplements also come with this
report: Female Genital Mutilation: A Reproductive Health Concern and
Reaching Young Adults Through Entertainment.
Copies of Helping the News Media Cover Family Planning, IUDs--An
Update, and Meeting the Needs of Young Adults--and all other
Population Reports publications--are free in any quantity to those in
developing countries. In the U.S. and other developed countries,
multiple copies cost US$2.00 each. A full set of reports in print
costs US$35.00. Contact: Population Information Program, The Johns
Hopkins School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310,
Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. Fax: 410-659-6266; E-mail:
PopRepts@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu
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A PAMPHLET-SIZED SUMMARY OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN'S
PLATFORM FOR ACTION has been produced by the United Nations
Department of Public Information. The fold-out features fourteen
panels that provide basic background information and specific action
recommendations from the platform. Topics represented include:
poverty, health, violence, armed conflict, economy, human rights,
media, and the girl child, among others.
TO OBTAIN A COPY, contact: Department of Public Information, United
Nations, Room S-1005, New York, NY 10017, USA. Fax: 212-963-4556.
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