NEW NATIONAL STRATEGIES SPARKED BY CAIRO CONFERENCE, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TOLD
Press Release
POP/610
NEW NATIONAL STRATEGIES SPARKED BY CAIRO CONFERENCE, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TOLD
19960227 New national strategies to empower women, provide family-planning services and stabilize population growth rates have been sparked by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, speakers told the Commission on Population and Development this morning.Despite the fact that the Sudan had not attended the Cairo International Conference, its representative told the Commission that, having studied the Programme of Action drafted there, it had not opposed the General Assembly's formal adoption of that document. The Sudan had created a national population council mandated to establish a national population policy by the end of this year.
Malaysia was drafting its own programme of action to bring its policies in line with the outcome of the Cairo Conference, according to that country's representative. In addition, Malaysia had hosted a World Health Organization (WHO) workshop on reproductive health last December to focus on ways to operationalize reproductive rights for the countries of the region.
Since the Conference, the representative of the Philippines said, her country had refined its population management programme and had benefited from assistance provided by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The representative of Kenya also said his country was attaching priority to translating the Cairo Programme of Action into a national programme.
The representative of Nepal said the Programme of Action would guide the country's population strategy, which would be implemented by the newly created Ministry for Population and the Environment. Nepal had a strong commitment to population and development programmes, but, as a least developed country, its capacity to implement them was limited. "Our means are inadequate and we need continued support."
Other statements were made by the representatives of Brazil, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Tunisia, United Kingdom, China, Norway, Netherlands, Canada, Mexico and the United States. The observer for the Holy See also
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spoke, as did a representative of the WHO. Responding to comments from delegations were Jyoti Singh, the UNFPA Deputy Director; Birgitta Bucht, Assistant Director of the Population Division; and Catherine Pierce, Deputy Chief of the UNFPA Technical Evaluation Division, who also introduced a report before the Commission.
Also this morning, Marie Cecile Joaquin-Yasay (Philippines) was elected Rapporteur of the Commission. Mrs. Joaquin-Yasay is also a Vice-Chairman of the Commission.
The Commission on Population and Development will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of follow-up to the recommendations of the Cairo Conference concerning reproductive rights and reproductive health.
Commission Work Programme
The Commission on Population and Development met this morning to continue its general debate as well as its consideration of follow-up to the recommendations of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development concerning reproductive rights and reproductive health.
For its discussion on the follow-up, the Commission has before it the Secretary-General's report on the monitoring of population programmes (document E/CN.9/1996/3). The report gives a broad overview of the range of activities that have been initiated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the aftermath of the Cairo Conference in the areas of reproductive rights, reproductive health and population information, education and communication. It assesses different approaches by developing States and countries in transition to implementing their own activities in those areas, and analyses constraints encountered in that process. The information in the report is based on a questionnaire filled out by UNFPA representatives in 78 countries. (For further information, see Press Release POP/609, of 26 February.)
Statements in Debate
JOSE AUGUSTO LINDGREN ALVES (Brazil) said his country's population growth ran at 1.5 per cent per year, and fertility rates averaged 2.6 births per woman. While such rates varied from one region to another, all had declined. About 70 per cent of Brazilian couples used some kind of contraceptive method. Still, many problems remained in the areas of reproductive health and of the implementation of reproductive rights. And most of those problems stemmed from serious economic difficulties brought by structural adjustment policies and the so-called phenomenon of globalization. The Brazilian system of public health had undergone grave deterioration, with serious consequences for the health of the population as a whole -- 75 per cent of which depended on the State system -- and of women in particular. Maternal mortality and the incidence of easily avoidable cervical cancer remained high, while sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, continued to be problematic.
To meet such challenges, he said many measures had been adopted. A comprehensive programme devised in 1995 to deal with women's health was now expected to be implemented. The Ministry of Health, in association with the Ministry of Education, had developed a specific programme for dealing with the particular needs of adolescents. Teachers were being trained to give proper information on sexual and reproductive health in classrooms and adolescents were being trained to act as health promoters among their peers. At the same time health professionals were being provided with the necessary skills to offer adequate advice and care to adolescents. In addition, there were media programmes on AIDS prevention that aimed both at adolescents and at the
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general public.
There was a new law which ruled out the use of family planning as a means of demographic control, he said. On the other hand, it enshrined family planning as a right of every citizen and stipulated that the Brazilian unified public health system must offer assistance to conception and contraception, before, during and after delivery, to the mother and to the newborn, and to control sexually transmitted diseases, breast, penis and cervical cancer.
A National Commission on Population and Development was established by a presidential decree of August 1995, with the aim of contributing to the formulation of policies and to the implementation of integrated actions relating to population and development. Most effective of all, however, was increasing assertiveness of women in every sphere of society. Having played a fundamental role in the drafting of the Federal Constitution of 1988, Brazilian women had now obtained quotas in the representation of all political parties in the National Congress. Concluding, he expressed the hope that the United Nations funds and programmes, particularly UNFPA, would continue to play a catalytic role in mobilizing national actions.
MARIE CECILLE JUAQUIN-YASAY (Philippines) said President Ramos attached great importance to the principles adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development, which had opened doors for improving the status of women in the Philippines. The basic rights of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the means to do so were recognized in the Philippines. However, the country still faced unmet needs among 30 per cent of all women. The population growth rate could be reduced if the country could meet the family planning needs of the population. The current average of four children per couple could be reduced to two if services were provided to those whose needs were currently unmet.
She said that since the Conference, the Philippines had refined its population management programme and had benefited from assistance provided by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Philippines would continue to work with the Fund as well as non-governmental organizations in addressing the needs of its citizens.
SAMANTHA ARI WARDHANA (Indonesia) said his country's national population programmes had long been widely recognized as one of the world's most successful, and it had shared its experience with other developing countries within the framework of South-South cooperation. Indonesia had hosted the first regional follow-up meeting after the Cairo Conference in May 1995 to discuss regional approaches to population issues. The average population growth rate had declined to 1.66 per cent in 1993 from over 2 per cent in past decades. Efforts were under way to continue reducing the birth rate. The
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population was over 189 million in 1993 and was expected to reach over 204 million in 1998.
The heart of Indonesia's success had been an emphasis on cooperation between the Government and the grass-roots community which focused on popular participation, he said. Some 10,000 to 12,000 maternity nurses were working in the rural areas, and it was hoped that with World Bank cooperation they would be able to continue their valuable work.
MYUNG-CHUL HAHM (Republic of Korea) said since the establishment of government structures dealing with population in 1961, the Government had incorporated population matters into its five-year development plans. The population of 44.9 million in 1995 was projected to be stabilized at 50.6 million by the year 2025. The proportion of elderly persons, which was increasing and was expected to grow in the future, was a matter of concern to the Government.
He went on to say that the Government had moved away from a quantitative approach based on targets to an approach which stressed qualitative factors such as maternal and child health. Efforts were under way to encourage responsible reproductive behaviour, particularly through the provision of contraception. The Government was working to introduce new population policies, encouraging self-supportive contraceptive practices through health insurance. Impoverished people living in rural areas would continue to receive government assistance. The status of women would be raised through measures to promote equality. In order to reduce the abortion rate, contraception would be provided and adolescents would have sex education.
RAJ ABDUL KARIM (Malaysia) said her country was drafting its own programme of action to bring its policies in line with the outcome of the Cairo Conference. Families were at the heart of the Government's strategy. The Government was drafting a national plan of action for the family. In the area of reproductive health, Malaysia had always integrated family planning services into maternal and child health plans. A high-level policy group had been formed to suggest reproductive health guidelines for programme implementation. Malaysia aimed to operationalize reproductive rights, with a focus on reproductive health of adolescents and individuals. It had conducted a study of the reproductive health of young people in order to better design programmes to meet their needs. That was especially important in light of the increased migration of young girls to urban areas as well as the rise of unwanted pregnancies.
She said Malaysia had hosted a World Health Organization (WHO) workshop on reproductive health last December to focus on ways to operationalize reproductive rights for the countries of the region. Most countries faced common problems of infrastructure and manpower. While countries were in the best position to decide their own priorities, international guidelines drafted
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by WHO, UNFPA and others would be valuable. She suggested that attention be paid to the urgent need to improve the quality of family planning and maternal and child care.
JYOTI SINGH, UNFPA Deputy Director, responding to comments made by delegates yesterday, said it was encouraging that most countries were moving to adopt a broad approach to reproductive health issues. The UNFPA would work to help countries to implement such an approach, in most cases through an incremental programme and in other cases starting anew.
ABDERRAZAK AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said his country was focusing on the family as the key to the development of society. A Journal of Family Affairs had been published to lay the foundation for the rights of the family. Polygamy was banned, and the minimum age at marriage had been raised to 17 for girls and to 20 for boys. Tunisia was committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cairo Conference and to creating structures for that purpose. The public at large was being informed of their rights and responsibilities in the reproductive health sphere.
Education reform policies had been introduced in Tunisia based on the principle of providing education to all, he said. Illiteracy had been reduced from 87 per cent to 37 per cent, and the number of children attending school had greatly increased. Recently, efforts had focused on reducing illiteracy among rural women. The Government was working to ensure the rights of all citizens in the field of health. Tunisia's health-care networks had been expanded to meet the needs of both urban and rural communities. Other programmes had been developed to deal with HIV and other diseases. New medical structures had made it possible for the medical sector to tackle new illnesses. Tunisia had always believed in the usefulness of birth control. The fertility rate stood at 3.2, down from 7.2 in 1967.
JOHN HOBCRAFT (United Kingdom) said reports before the Commission highlighted how far the international community had to go in reaching the goals of the Cairo Conference, particularly with respect to adolescents; maternal mortality, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS; empowerment of women; domestic violence; female genital mutilation; and the need to involve men. The United Kingdom was particularly concerned about expanding the non-governmental sector, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Both could make useful contributions to addressing population concerns. It was necessary to establish standard indicators so that the Commission could analyze progress towards achieving the important goals of the Cairo Conference.
RAM HARI ARYAL (Nepal) said his country was working to reduce its high birth rate, a factor in the continuing cycle of poverty. A newly created ministry -- the Ministry for Population and the Environment -- had been mandated to deal with population programmes, including advocacy and
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dissemination of information. The Government was committed to a multisectoral approach to population and environment issues. The Ministry would focus on coordinating policies and would extend its work to other areas which would likely emerge as priority issues in the future. Based on the recommendations of the Cairo Conference, the issues of reproductive health and sustainable development would receive due attention. The Cairo Programme of Action would guide Nepal's population strategy.
Nepal had instituted a number of measures to raise the status of women, he said. Nepal had a strong commitment to population and development programmes, but, as a least developed country, its capacity to implement them was limited. "Our means are inadequate and we need continued support." The assistance of the UNFPA had been welcome, he said, urging the international community to continue to provide Nepal with assistance for its population programmes.
TAHA MOHAMMED (Sudan) said that despite the fact that his country had not participated in the Cairo Conference, it had studied the Programme of Action adopted there. Sudan had noted that all of the points in the Programme of Action on which it had reservations had also been the subject of reservations by other States. Thus, it had not opposed the General Assembly's resolution adopting the Programme.
He said life expectancy in Sudan was 50.6 for males and 53 for females. The number of persons displaced by war and other factors had varied between 1.2 million and 6 million between 1990 and 1995, with 50 per cent of them in Khartum. At the end of 1994, Sudan had created a national population council mandated to establish a national population policy by the end of this year. Other committees had been set up to deal with such matters as population policies, reproductive health, public awareness, training and programmes for women. Sudan was concentrating on population factors that were closely connected to poverty. Priority was also being attached to the dissemination of information. Displaced persons were also receiving attention. The Government was providing contraceptives and education on family planning needs and was working to eliminate harmful traditional practices such as female circumcision.
Statements on Monitoring of Population Programmes
BIRGITTA BUCHT, Assistant Director of the Division of Population, said that in preparing the report the objective had been to provide a scientifically sound global analysis of reproductive rights and reproductive health. Much research was done on the relationships between reproductive behaviour and child survival but less was known about the association between child bearing patterns and maternal health. As has been pointed out yesterday, there was not enough basis for considering parity above 3 as a risk factor
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She said that in many countries, marriage marked the beginning of exposure to reproduction but it was also necessary to recognize the broad spectrum of practices around the world and to try to capture them in the analysis. She said the concise report would be somewhat expanded.
CARLA ABOU ZAHR, of the World Health Organization (WHO), said following the Cairo Conference, WHO governing bodies had passed a series of resolutions committing the organization to systematic and intensive follow-up activities. In particular, it had requested the Director-General to develop a coherent programmatic approach for research and action in reproductive health and reproductive health care within WHO to overcome structural barriers to efficient planning and implementation. That would be carried out in close consultation with Member States and interested parties and a report submitted to the 1996 Assembly. An internal consultative process had started even before Cairo and intensified after the 1995 Assembly. Those consultations had resulted in the development of a framework for a new reproductive health programme composed of a research division and a technical support division.
She said the reproductive health programme had close linkages with the Adolescent Health Programme. Sexual and reproductive behaviours developed in adolescent could help avoid many reproductive health problems later in life. It also worked closely with the women's health and development programme in promoting gender awareness and showing how women's ability to control their lives affected their health in general and their reproductive health in particular. Those programmes were linked to a Child Health and Development Programme within the overall framework of family and reproductive health. The reproductive health programme was guided by goals to ensure that people would benefit from the enabling conditions and necessary information and care so that they could have the capacity for health, equitable and responsible relationships and experience healthy sexual development maturation; and achieve their reproductive intentions -- the desired number, spacing and timing of children -- safely and in a healthful manner. Those goals also aimed to ensure that people would be able to avoid illness, disease, and disability related to sexuality and reproduction, and, receive appropriate counselling, care and rehabilitation for injuries related to sexuality and reproduction.
She said that WHO had, in recent months, collaborated with other agencies of the United Nations system in a number of activities in the area of reproductive health and rights. It also collaborated with the Population Division in the preparation of the report on world population monitoring, 1996, on the theme of reproductive rights and reproductive health, particularly the sections relating to maternal mortality and morbidity and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Through the Joint Committee on Health Policy, WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) are working to ensure effective coordination and collaboration at country level. The WHO was committed to the full implementation of the Cairo Programme of
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Action and had reaffirmed that reproductive health remained a priority.
JUN CONG (China), praising the report, said it provided an overview of the follow-up actions of the Cairo Conference as well as different strategies and approaches adopted by developing countries and countries in economic transition in the areas of reproductive rights, reproductive health and population information, education and communication. She regretted, however, that the report did not include the activities taken by the developed countries. Strengthening the exchange of experiences and information at the global level would promote the follow-up actions to the Conference at global, regional and country levels. She hoped that in future, information and resource channels could be expanded to make the report more comprehensive and authoritative.
She said that the question of how to translate words into actions and how to incorporate productive rights and reproductive health concepts into the population programme of each country was a major issue. Because of the different historical and cultural backgrounds and different levels of socio- economic development, there were different interpretations of reproductive rights and reproductive health. Countries adopted different strategies and approaches with diversified focuses to suit their own national conditions. For instance, in Asia and Pacific women were still dying from pregnancy, difficult labour and unsafe abortion despite related diseases or deaths could be cured or prevented. For those countries, the only realistic way to address such problems was to integrate reproductive rights and reproductive health into the larger context of population and sustainable development and into primary health-care system, and to address them in a holistic way.
To expand the family planning programme into a broader scope of reproductive health-care programmes, the developing countries had to address organizational structure, infrastructure, financial and human resource problems while facing political, economic, social and other constraints, she said. Transition could only be realized by an incremental approach based upon the existing family planning programmes. It took time to strengthen the political commitments by various levels of government, to raise the awareness of the public and to mobilize universal participation, to coordinate actions by various sectors, to build up infrastructure and train family planning and health workers in order to achieve quality care. The achievement of those goals necessitated international assistance and cooperation.
SIMON B.A. BULLUT (Kenya) said that in 1987 his country had been one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to implement family planning and population programmes. Through the 1970s and early 1980s, however, Kenya's population had grown so fast that in the 1979 census the recorded growth rate was 3.8 per cent. In 1982 a National Council for Population and Development had been established with a mandate to formulate, implement and coordinate population programmes in the country.
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He reviewed progress made over the past decade in arresting the fast- growing population growth, including a multi-media and multi-sectoral approach involving the Government, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. By 1993 the total fertility rate had dropped to 5.4 per cent. Encouraging progress was also registered in reduction of maternal and infant mortalities and the infant vaccination rate had reached more than 80 per cent.
He said that since the Cairo Conference, Kenya had set several priorities: to translate the Cairo programme into a national programme and to review population guidelines, taking into account issues that had emerged since 1984. The result was the New National Population Policy for Sustainable Development, which was in the final stages of preparation and would guide implementation of the population programmes to the year 2015.
He said the promotion and implementation of reproductive health and rights was at the centre of the new policy thrust. A new policy on reproductive health, which was in its last stages of preparation, would look at all reproductive health issues including the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the context of the post-Cairo approach. Other areas that were being given critical attention were the integration of population variables in all aspects of development and the issues of youth, children, gender, and migration. The Government had set demographic, health and social services targets to be achieved by the year 2000 and at the end of the plan period -- 2015. It was also committed to institutional restructuring to ensure the smooth implementation of goals and objectives stipulated in the new population policy.
HELGE BRUNBORG (Norway) said the reports before the Commission had not paid due attention to the issue of violence against women, including domestic violence and female genital mutilation. Norway had recently made female genital mutilation illegal. The role of men was stressed in the Programme of Action but had not fully been reflected in the reports before the Commission. One important aspect of the role of men was sexual behaviour. He called for the gathering of data on those issues.
JENNY GIERVELD (Netherlands) said the report before the Commission had been based on the replies of only 40 per cent of countries solicited. The questionnaire format itself was flawed, as it used a rigid format to address new and emerging concepts for which standard definitions did not always exist. She requested that the report be updated to clarify those points.
RUTH ARCHIBALD (Canada) said it would be useful to find out how agencies had dealt with the issue of indicators on emerging issues in the field of reproductive rights and reproductive health.
JOSE GOMEZ DE LEON (Mexico) said he shared the concern expressed in earlier statements that since only 40 per cent of those solicited for the
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questionnaire had responded, the report did not present balanced information.
RICHARD CORNELIUS (United States) said his country continued to support the national family planning programme which, since 1970, had provided voluntary free reproductive health services to those in need. The United States had also formed a governing council on youth to formulate a youth strategy, including activities aimed at preventing teen pregnancy. Pregnant and parenting adolescents received assistance.
On the international level, the United States Agency for International Development was providing assistance in the area of reproductive health, he said. Contraception research was producing new barrier methods which also protected against sexually transmitted diseases. A major new project had been created to provide international assistance to address the health needs of young people. The United States also placed great importance on meeting the needs of refugees, displaced people and other victims of conflict. A field manual for reproductive health in refugee situations had been developed by the United States, which had also provided the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with a specialist in reproductive health. Guidelines were also being developed on sexual violence against refugees and on the health of refugee children.
BISHOP JAMES MCHUGH (Holy See) said his first concern was with the definition of the word "marriage". Even though no clear definition of marriage was provided in the Programme of Action, it was stated in the Principles that "marriage must be entered into with the free consent of the intending spouses, and husband and wife should be equal partners". The Report asserted that "marriage may take widely different forms" including cohabitation "or even visiting relationships". Those were not universally accepted as equal to marriage. He urged that difficulties be avoided by adhering to usage of the term "marriage" as it appeared in the Programme of Action.
He said that some references to the family, namely "family-building patterns" and patterns of "family formation", assumed that the family could be built on relationships other than those established by marriage. That proposition had been disputed by many delegations at the Cairo Conference. He would prefer to avoid inferring such acceptance in the follow-up actions to the recommendations of the Conference. Precision in terms was particularly desirable in the discussion and application of "reproductive rights", a term that was still open to debate as to its precise meaning and social implications. The need for precision was evident when actions were encouraged to implement reproductive rights at the local level, and to integrate them "into existing social, political and religious structures" so that they would "become part of the complex fabric of society". Greater care should be given to the paraphrasing and interpretation of that right.
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Regarding abortion and maternal morbidity and mortality, he said there was a lack of available, specific information on maternal morbidity and mortality, and on many estimates and assertions on the global incidence of abortion, particularly "unsafe abortion". The lack of firm data should be emphasized and further projections and policy proposals should be made with caution. He also questioned the statistical basis or study supporting the assertion that so-called "unwanted pregnancy" resulted in child abuse, neglect and/or abandonment. While other problems or complications that were mentioned in the table appropriately identified medical risks, it was more difficult to maintain that "unwanted pregnancy", a subjective term, was a widespread cause of child abuse, neglect and abandonment.
Mr. HAHM (Republic of Korea) said he shared the concern over the fact that the questionnaire had not been completed by all States solicited. It was likely that those who replied had greater means, and that would distort the results.
Ms. BUCHT, Assistant Director of the Population Division, said there was a lack of data on violence against women and on female genital mutilation. The reports could not cover all aspects of the issues involved because of a lack of time. Concerning definitions, she said that efforts would be made to use those terms which had been clarified by the Cairo Programme of Action.
CATHERINE PIERCE, Deputy Chief, Technical Evaluation Division of UNFPA, said since the publication of the report, responses to the questionnaire had been received from nine developed countries. The questionnaire had been the most feasible modality to gather information, but it made no pretensions of being a random survey which gave an unbiased account. With respect to terminology, she said that efforts had been made to use the definitions adopted at the Cairo Conference. There was a critical need to develop sensitive indicators in order to be able to accurately assess progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action.
She agreed with previous speakers that issues concerning violence against women and the role of men in reproductive matters were of critical importance, and called attention to the need for gathering data on those matters at the country level.
Statements on Task Force for Conference Follow-up
Ms. PIERCE, Deputy Chief, Technical Evaluation Division of UNFPA, then introduced the report of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (document E/CN.9/1996/4).
According to that report, the Task Force, which was formed by the Secretary-General as a follow-up mechanism to the Cairo Conference, is
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comprised of representatives of all relevant departments, agencies and bodies of the United Nations system. "In just over a year, the Task Force has demonstrated that United Nations organizations and agencies can collaborate and coordinate their activities in meeting a common goal, and furthermore that they can do so harmoniously while capitalizing on their areas of comparative advantage." Basing its work on the multi-year work programme proposed by the Commission, the Task Force took as its 1996 topic reproductive rights and reproductive health, including population information, education and communication.
The Task Force has prepared and disseminated a set of guidelines for the United Nations resident coordinator system, and has developed a common advocacy statement on population and development. Meant for use by those in the field, particularly members of the resident coordinator system, the guidelines address key areas such as reproductive health; empowerment of women; national capacity-building to track child and maternal mortality; and basic education with special attention to gender disparities. Major themes of the guidelines, which have been distributed to all resident coordinators, are putting people first, promoting sustainable development, and reducing gender inequality.
According to the report, the Task Force established a working group on reproductive health led by the WHO. During their discussions, members of the working group emphasized that reproductive health is a crucial part of general health and is hence central to human development. The working group emphasized that reproductive health always includes family planning and sexual health, and family planning will continue to be a central component of reproductive health care. Strategies for the attainment of reproductive health must be based on the underlying principles of human rights and gender equity.
Reproductive health, the working group stated, is affected by socio- economic factors, including education, employment, living conditions, family environment, social relations, gender relations and legislation, as well as cultural and traditional practices. The new approach to reproductive health is people-centred, representing a shift from the earlier paradigm which emphasized increasing the number of acceptors of family planning methods. The new paradigm aims to enhance reproductive rights and promote reproductive health, rather than fertility control. That implies, among others, empowering women and having men assume greater responsibility for reproductive health.
While precise needs vary from country to country, the report states that globally, reproductive health interventions are most likely to include attention to the issues of family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, and maternal mortality and morbidity. The working group also said that reproductive health should further address such issues as harmful practices, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, reproductive tract infections, gender- based violence, infertility, malnutrition and anaemia and reproductive tract cancers.
The report stresses that population information, education and communication play a critical role in generating demand for services, increasing awareness of reproductive rights. Reproductive health programmes should ensure that adolescents have access to information, counselling and
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appropriate services. The special vulnerabilities of young people to reproductive health problems can be addressed through information, education and communication, which will serve to foster a sense of responsibility among youth.
The report reviews the activities taken by the various members of the Task Force in the areas of reproductive rights and reproductive health. It states that UNICEF is working to foster dialogue among young people, parents, educators, health providers and community leaders on health, including reproductive health. Reproductive health activities constitute a significant portion of all World Bank lending for population, health and nutrition activities.
The WHO has a unique advocacy role within the United Nation system, the report continues. In the area of reproductive health technologies, particular emphasis is being given to methods that match women's perceived needs and priorities, including user-controlled methods that can also protect against sexually transmitted diseases, and safe male methods that enable men to share responsibility for fertility regulation and disease prevention. The WHO provides technical support to developing countries, and collaborates with a number of United Nations bodies and non-governmental organizations in the field of reproductive health.
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