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At the request of the Cook Islands Government and approval by the UNFPA Representative, the Reproductive Health/Family Planning (RH/FP) Adviser undertook a mission to Cook Islands from 27-29 November 1996. He was a resource person at the Reproductive Health/Family Planning Priority Setting Workshop.
The Workshop identified the following as priorities for attention: teenage pregnancy; expanding contraceptive prevalence; STD/HIV/AIDS; male participation in RH/FP; and cervical and breast cancer.
The Adviser on RH/FP was in Kiribati from 13-17 November 1996 to participate in the Reproductive Health Priority Setting Workshop.
After a review of the Adviser's sectoral report on RH/FP and discussion of the recommendations contained in the report, the Workshop ranked the priority issues against a select list of criteria. Detailed examination of the priority reproductive health problems by the Workshop was followed by specification of strategies and action programmes and an assessment of the budgetary and human resource requirements.
As requested by the South Pacific Commission, the executing agency of project PMI/92/PO1, Mr. Allan Kondo, the Adviser for Population Education, provided technical assistance in the InCountry Sensitization Workshop on Population Issues/Concerns and Population Education for Representatives of Parents' and Teachers' Groups which was held from 29 October - 2 November 1996.
The main objectives of the workshop were; to create increased awareness and understanding of population issues and concerns among representatives of parents' and teachers' groups in the Republic of the Marshall Islands; to underline the importance of the reproductive health of youth and adolescents and the national priorities in terms of the ICPD Programme of Action; and, to assess the achievements and constraints in the school population education project and recommend new approaches.
Project PNG/94/P01 has as its overall objective the creation of a national institutional capacity in PNG to ensure that population factors are fully integrated in the development planning process. During 7-11 October, the CST Adviser on Population Policies and Development Strategies, Mr. William House, undertook a mission to review the overall past performance of the project in achieving its objectives and to help define its future direction.
Mr. House conducted a training exercise in the use of RAPID-PNG, a computer software he had prepared, with officials from the National Planning Office and the National Statistical Office. He gave a seminar on "Population and Development Planning" at the Ministry of Planning on 10 October. On the final day of his brief mission, he participated in a TPR Meeting and presented recommendations on extension of the project to 1997.
Dr. Salesi Katoanga, CST Adviser in RH/FP, was in Papua New Guinea on 6-12 October to familiarize himself with the UNFPA's programme initiatives in Reproductive Health/Family Planning. During his one week mission, the Adviser worked closely with the project Chief Technical Adviser, Dr. Surinder Kaul, and the UNFPA Representative, Ms. Margaret O'Callaghan, in formulating training activities, drafting a project proposal on the introduction of Norplant, advising on equipment and supplies for the four provinces covered by the project PNG/95/P01 "Strengthening Reproductive Health and Family Planning", and discussing plans for analysis of the baseline survey and technical backstopping by the CST in Suva. Dr. Katoanga also held discussions with officials of the National Department of Health, WHO Port Moresby, and visited provincial clinics.
On 19-22 November, Dr. G. Deodato, TSS Specialist in RH/FP based at WHO Manila, undertook a mission to take part in a Tripartite Project Review meeting. The meeting, held on 21 November, reviewed progress in project implementation in 1996 and the workplan for 1997. In the morning, Dr. Deodato gave a seminar on "Operationalizing the Reproductive Health Concept" attended by 22 participants from government, NGOs, UN agencies and diplomatic missions. The presentation covered the major components of Reproductive Health as promoted in the ICPD Programme of Action. He also recommended some criteria on how to prioritize reproductive health problems.
In a mission to the Solomon Islands, from 11-14 September 1996, Dr. Salesi Katoanga worked with about forty officials of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and representatives of non-governmental organizations, during a one-day workshop in plenary and small group sessions, to review the findings and recommendations of a sectoral review prepared by him in May, establish priorities in the RH/FP-SH sector, determine how best to address the priority issues, and assess the resource requirements for programme action in the immediate and medium term.
Parliamentarians' WorkshopThe CST Adviser on Population Policies and Development Strategies, Mr. William House, undertook a one-week mission to the Solomon Islands on 17-23 November to serve as a resource person in an awareness-raising workshop for Parliamentarians and Government planners and technicians. The MPs workshop was also attended by the Minister of National Planning and Development, the Hon. F. Saemala and his Permanent Secretary, Mr. D. Kudu. The Members of Parliament were alerted to the socio-economic implication of the country's population dynamics where the annual growth rate is anticipated to exceed 3 per cent. A call was made for the collection of more information and data and for the conducting of analytical studies to estimate the budgetary implications of these scenarios.
In discussions with the Population Planning Unit, the CST adviser offered detailed comments and suggestions for revision of a draft Population Policy. It was suggested that the short-term project adviser should write a series of policy position papers, addressing the implications for the social sector of population growth and redistribution. A detailed project workplan was designed for 1997 including the conducting of a multipurpose household survey in Honiara under the project's auspices.
On 2-3 December 1996, the RH/FP Adviser was in Tonga to be a resource person at a Reproductive Health/Family Planning Priority Setting Workshop.
Attended by medical officers, public health nurses and health education personnel, the discussions were largely conducted in Tonganese by the Advisor. This rapport in the meeting encouraged active participation by health care providers at all levels.
Participants felt that the MCH/FP programme in Tonga has been very successful. For the next cycle, to operationalize further quality of care aspects and accessibility of services in a wider RH/FP programme, it was proposed to focus on four priority areas, namely, STD/HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, morbidity, and contraceptive choice.
At the request of the UNFPA Field Office in Suva the Adviser on RH/FP visited Tuvalu from 4-13 November to undertake a review of the reproductive health sector and, based on his findings, conduct a priority-setting workshop with national officials.
Dr. Katoanga met with a wide cross-section of health providers in government and NGOs. The sectoral review assessed past achievements and future needs to improve availability, accessibility and quality of services. The workshop held on 12 and 13 November provided a forum for programme officials to prioritize areas for action and to discuss strategies and action plans.
The Adviser on Population Policies and Development Strategies was in Vanuatu from 5-16 September.
The main objective of the mission was to initiate the process of formulating the national population policy framework for Vanuatu and provide guidance to the National Planning Office and Population Board in identifying the nature and contents of such a policy. The Adviser also met and consulted with the relevant ministries to derive quantitative estimates of resource requirements for a comprehensive population programme for Vanuatu with emphasis on population development strategies, advocacy, and information, education and communication.
National workshop on priority settingDr. Salesi Katoanga undertook a mission to the Republic of Vanuatu from 16 to 19 September 1996 to conduct a two-day national workshop on priority setting in reproductive health/family planning and sexual health (RH/FP-SH). The workshop was an integral part of the preparatory phase for the next UNFPA programme cycle among the Pacific Island countries (1998 to 2001). The adviser was also required to assist national counterparts in Vanuatu to assess resource requirements for programme activities in the RH/FP-SH sector.
The adviser also acted as a resource person in a three-day national workshop on RH/FP-SH for District Health Supervisors and other selected senior officials of the Ministry of Health.
More than 40 participants attended the workshop which covered concerns in the country such as: low family planning coverage and usage; users; high maternal and infant mortality; teenage pregnancy; sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS; shortage of RH/FP-SH staff; weak RH/FP-SH information system; and inadequacy of appropriate equipment, supplies and facilities.
In a mission from 15 to 30 July, 1996, at the request of the UNFPA Office in Vietnam, Mr. Allan Kondo, the Adviser on Population Education, provided technical assistance for project VIE/94/P01 "Population Education in the Formal School System of Vietnam". This involved the preparation of designs of: (a) population education test item bank for primary and secondary education; (b) teaching/learning aids for classroom use; and (c) population education radio and TV quiz.
The Adviser met and held discussions with UNFPA, project staff and the Faculty of Psychology, Hanoi National University who are the contractors for the project. It involved the organization and planning, development of questions, implementation and assessments of radio and TV quizzes.
In a follow-up mission to Hanoi on 13-24 November, at the specific request of the new UNFPA Representative and national project staff, Mr. Kondo assisted population education personnel and faculty members of the National Institute for Educational Science, the Research Centre for Curriculum Development and Teaching Methodology, and the Hanoi National University in the preparation of self-learning modules on Population Education for the training of student teachers.
Vietnam Prepares for 1999 Census of Population and HousingMr. Laurie Lewis, the Adviser on Population Statistics visited Vietnam from 1-5 December 1996 to attend a Census Brainstorming Session. This mission was undertaken at the request of the UNFPA Representative in Hanoi.
Together with Mr. Nuri Ozsever, his counterpart from the CST Bangkok, Mr. Lewis served as resource person in the 2-day workshop held on 3-4 December to assist Vietnam's General Statistics Office and the National Committee for Population and Family Planning in the development of an overall plan for the 1999 census, planning of key activities and in the preparation of a submission to the government for financial support. The Workshop was attended by 48 representatives from government departments, academic institutions and the UNFPA Field Office.