- Summary (Word version)
- Declaration
Summary
The Consultation was convened by Werner Fornos, President of the sponsoring organization, Global Population Education (GPE), welcoming the Alliance and tracing accomplishments 15 years after Cairo and speaking of the challenges ahead.
Country reports followed on the subject of “Progress Since Cairo and the Road Ahead.” Most participants prepared power point and those presentations are attached.
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Michal Kliment, MD, working in a private OB/GYN outpatient clinic in Pezinok, spoke of the need for the European Union to address marginalized populations, especially the ROMA population.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Radim Uzel, MD, President of the Family Planning Association of the Czech Republic, spoke of a big difference between the Slovak Republic, where the Catholic Church has a large impact, and the Czech Republic, where there is less of an impact. There has been a huge increase in oral contraception – in 1990 it was 4 percent and in 2007 it was up to 48 percent.
ALBANIA
Valentina Leskaj, a Member of Parliament in Albania, said that their total fertility rate is two, compared to six 20 years ago. Abortion was legalized in the 1990s – before this abortion accounted for 55 percent of maternal deaths. They have a youthful population with an average age of 31.7 and a largely rural population of 55 percent. Accessibility and affordability of services in rural areas is a challenge. They are seeking to join the European Union and it is a challenge to sustain reforms under changing governments.
Elona Hoxha, Executive Director of the Albanian Center for Population and Development, formerly known as the Family Planning Association, spoke of low contraceptive usage of eight percent. Demographic survey will provide new data.
GUEST SPEAKER
Gunta Lazdane, MD, Regional Advisor for the World Health Organization (WHO), gave an address on “Sexual and Reproductive Health in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” She traced historical changes in global reproductive health and strategies adopted by WHO’s 191 member states since 2004. The concept of “sexual wellbeing” was raised but there was confusion about its meaning. She responded to questions about WHO data, saying that WHO data estimates are based on a wide range of data and may differ from official national data.
LITHUANIA
Esmeralda Kuliesyte, MD, Executive Director of the Lithuania Family Planning Association, spoke of violence against women, traced to a tradition of “power” in the family. She said that NGOs are very weak in Lithuania.
HUNGARY
Maria Klinger, representing the Hungarian Women’s Association, spoke about the ageing population and a low birth rate. She suggested a need for research on differential for life expectancy for women and men.
KAZAKHSTAN
Tamara Jussubolieyva, MD, Director of the Kazakhstan Institute of Reproductive Medicine, spoke about the WHO European Representative reporting on 1.3 Euro grant to improve the maternal & obstetrical health of the public health program. She also reported on trafficking of women, mostly to the Arab states. She said they have oil and gas resources but that the issue is leadership.
GUEST SPEAKER
Jyoti Shankar Singh, Permanent Observer to the UN, Partners in Population and Development, gave an address on “Implementing the Cairo Agenda.” He observed that the main achievement is there is a consensus on the need for reproductive health as part of national health strategies, but points out allocations to family planning have gone down from 54 percent to four percent, based on total global assistance. His updated “Creating a New Consensus of Population” is due out this fall.
BELARUS
Iryna Chutkova, with the UNICEF office in Belarus, said the Ministry of Health has guidelines for improvement of maternal health as part of health program, but they have not been implemented. The government of Belarus is considering a legislative base for NGOs and there is hope that UNICEF and others will encourage establishment of NGOs.
KRYGYZSTAN
Anara Doolotova, MD, PhD, a National Reproductive Health Expert and Consultant and Trainer with the UNFPA in Kyrgyzstan, spoke of a dramatic increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate, now at 60 percent but was only one percent 15 years ago when there were no NGOs and there are now 2000. Guidelines exist on how Muslim religious leaders can work for wider interpretation of the KORAN to implement family planning and maternal health care.
BULGARIA
Todor Chernev, MD, President of the Bulgarian Family Planning Association, pointed out that the European Union, WHO and NGOs have great influence working with national governments to implement the ICPD program. His role in the Eastern European and Central Asian Alliance is not small. After 16 years of work, it is now a “real power” in the international field and “our voice” is heard.
GEORGIA
Nino Tsuleiskiri, Executive Director of the Family Planning Association of Georgia, said that Georgia is hoping to join the European Union. With regard to implementing the ICPD principles, contraceptives are free in clinics, provided by UNFPA, although they are expensive in pharmacies. The UNFPA, WHO and the Ministry of Internally Displaced People are all working in the conflict zone. This is the only case where the Internet is used for youths to get consultations.
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Boris Gilca, MD, Program Coordinator for UNFPA in the Republic of Moldova, spoke of progress towards more faith-based reconciliation programs. During lengthy discussion, the participants did not agree with partnership with any churches – Catholic, Orthodox or Muslim – and felt that the Holy See will campaign to obstruct in the final days of drafting a program. Further discussion on trafficking of women being a sensitive area and that male prostitution is growing. Their aging population is growing and an increased retirement age for pensions is under advisement.
INTRODUCTION OF GUEST
Werner Fornos introduced a Rotary International guest, Mr. Günther Shell, Past District Governor, who offered words of encouragement to the work of the Alliance.
GUEST SPEAKER
Peter Schatzer, Regional Director of the International Committee on Migration, spoke of changes in migration patterns in the region since the ICPD in Cairo. He said the Cairo meeting was forward looking about the impact of migration and that it is amazing to see there are still areas of concern 15 years latter. International migration is seen as a contentious issue. There is now an annual Global Forum on International Migration organized by countries rather than the United Nations. There are remittances of $300 billion worldwide – an average of 250 Euros a month. A goal of Cairo was to bring down administrative costs of remittances and this is moving forward. There are 210 million migrants worldwide – 3 percent of the world’s population. The problem of countries attracting medical professionals from countries of origin might be relieved if countries start to train personnel for local and export needs.
AZERBAIJAN
Zemfira Verdiyeva, Chairperson of the Azerbaijan Women’s Association, gave an oral statement about her Association, which has 75,000 volunteer members. The Family Planning Institute was formed in 2009 and there are also many other NGOs active in reproductive health. In the last few years, the government has been considering a national reproductive health strategy. There was a lengthy discussion focused on the topic of “feticide” or late term selective abortions and the political role of women’s organizations is trying to do something about this matter.
CROATIA
Ana Lapcevic, MD, spoke of the low contraceptive rate of 8 percent of users of modern methods with low demographic increase, which suggests abortion is used. There is no data available.
POLAND
Mariusz Wöjtowicz, MD, who has a private practice and is also a member of the Polish Family Planning Association and the Polish Gynecological Association,
Said the Polish Family Planning Association only covers the five main cities. Sterilization is forbidden. There is an abstinence rate of 34 percent, which is decreasing, and barrier method rate of 36 percent. The Church is strong -- tied to the history of independence – and for Polish people, freedom means the Church.
GUEST SPEAKER
Rahul Singh, Major Journalist from India, and member of the Board of Directors of the Global Population Education, gave a “Report on the New India.” He said India is a democratic country. They held the 15th national election this year and the Congress Party is back in power. India has changed – still poor, but 50-200 million are now a middle class. They have 415 million cell phones, second to China, with 30 million phones added every month. They are a super power in information technology. But challenges remain. Twenty-five percent of the population is below the poverty line; primary health care is low with life expectancy of 64 years; public sanitation is poor; primary education is weak; a literacy rate of 64 percent, with women’s being lower; and environmental degradation, especially in the forests.
There are challenges to slow down population growth. In 1947, at time of independence, the population was 35 million people. Today the population is 1.4 billion, with an increase rate of 1.7 percent, or 18 million people added to the population every year. Migration from rural areas has 350 families moving into Bombay every day. There is unchecked urbanization because the constitution allows freedom of travel.
Rahul Singh has been associated with Werner Fornos since 1992 and was commissioned by UNFPA for the Cairo Conference to write family planning success stories around the world. During Q&A, he said that aging was not an issue yet because the tradition of families is to look after the aged. Sex education is opposed in India because the Indian society is conservative.
