PPD :: Newsletter : Issue 07

Twenty five professionals in the field of population and reproductive health from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia and Zimbabwe attended the International Workshop on Real Life Experience Sharing on Consulting for Reproductive Health during 02-03 July 2007 in Cairo, Egypt. International experts from USA also joined to facilitate the sessions.

The Opening Ceremony, which was attended by around forty representatives from the international agencies and senior officials from the Ministry of Health, Cairo, was performed by Mr. Harry S Jooseery, Executive Director of PPD. Among others, Dr. Safa El-Baz, Assistant Minister of Health and Population, National Population Council, Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Prof. Dr. Nabiha Gueddana, Member, PPD Board, and Director General Office of National Family and Population (ONFP) Tunisia, also spoke at the Opening Ceremony.

The objectives of workshop were sharing of consulting experience, lessons learnt and establishment of a network system to maintain a unified and high standard quality service communication among the consultants.

A paper on ‘Scale and Equity: A Bold Approach in Reproductive Health’, was presented by Dr. Martha M. Campbell, Co-Director, Center for Entrepreneurship in International Health and Development (CEIHD) and lecturer, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

The workshop ushered fruitful discussions and new thoughts and also offered an opportunity for a face to face interaction (Expert Interview) with the participants with the renowned international expert, Prof Dr. Malcolm Potts, Fred H. Bixby Endowed Chair, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA. Several recommendations were provided on the sustainability and the modus operandi on the best utilization of the rich resource of PPD data base.

Prof. Dr. Malcom Potts answering question of the participants
during the Expert Interview session

Participants visited on the last day of the workshop, the Cairo Demographic Center (CDC) a partner institution of PPD. Mr. Abdelghany Mohamed Abdelghany Ibrahim, the Director of CDC made a presentation on the institution and its capabilities. Mr. Jooseery expressed his appreciation to CDC for its support and assistance to PPD. He commended the CDC Award of Fellowship to PPD Member states. It is to be noted that CDC has offered 10 fellowships to PPD for a one year Diploma course on Demography starting January 2008.

PPD is in the process of updating its consultants’ Database and in the development of a brochure and an interactive CD from PPD Consultant Database which will be available shortly.

International Workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in China

China Training Centre with support from Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and with assistance from PPD organized an International Workshop on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in Beijing and Yunnan, China from 08 to 21 July 2007. The objective of the workshop was to share the experience and lessons learned of China on improvement of MCH Program and to enhance knowledge of participants on SRH in the context of attaining ICPD Goals and MDGs. It brought altogether 32 MCH service providers and practitioners and Programme Managers from Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Fiji, Indonesia, Liberia, Laos, Kenya, Myanmar, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Samoa, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. China’s experiences on management and practices in MCH service were studied and discussed in the Workshop. The adoption of China’s MCH success will improve the maternal and child healthcare in the home countries of the participants and will eventually contribute to the achievement of MDGs.

In the panel of the workshop from the left Mr. Wang Kuili, Deputy Director, Department of Foreign Aid, Ministry of Commerce, China, Mr. Harry S. Jooseery, Executive Director of PPD, H.E. Mr. Zhang Weiqing, Honorable Chair of PPD and Minister, NPFPC of China, Dr. Zhao Baige, Vice-minister, NPFPC of China, Mr. Bernard Coquelin, UNFPA Representative in China and H.E. Mr. Amin Maroof Al-Janad, Honorable Board Member of PPD and Secretary General, National Population Council of Yemen

Mr. Harry S. Jooseery, the Executive Director represented PPD in the workshop and delivered an address at the Opening Session of the workshop on 8th July. The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for PPD to advocate its activities to high level civil servants from member states, other developing countries, donor agencies and other international development organizations. Mr. Jooseery also made a presentation on SRH and Commodity Security in Developing Countries at the Workshop.

During his stay in China Mr. Jooseery met the Honourable Chair of PPD, H.E. Mr. Zhang Weiqing, Minister of National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC) and reported to the Chair on PPD’s current activities particularly on development of the Capacity Development Plan, Strategic Business Plan, formulation of new project proposals, forthcoming Board Meeting of PPD and the International Forum in Islamabad.

MOU signed between China and Indonesia

During the same period, the Government of People Republic of China, represented by the Honorable Chair of PPD and the Government of Indonesia, represented by H.E. Dr. Sugiri Syarief, MPA the Honorable Board Member of PPD and Chairperson, BKKBN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the field of Reproductive Health Population and Development in the presence of the Executive Director of PPD.

Networking and Advocacy towards addressing HIV/AIDS Pandemic through South-South Cooperation during 4th IAS Conference

PPD Executive Director Mr. Harry Jooseery conducted extensive networking and advocacy campaign during the 4th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention on addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic in developing countries through South-South Cooperation. He met and exchanged views with prominent leaders and experts on pragmatic strategies in preventing and scaling down the prevalence of the scourge of the disease.

As the name suggests, this international HIV/AIDS conference was mainly scientific in nature and dealt with clinical, biological, scientific and research and strategic issues related HIV pathology, treatment and preventions. The conference brought together over six thousand participants and resource persons consisting of the world’s most distinguished researchers, scientific leaders and clinical specialists to deliberate on multi-disciplinary and multi-perspective topics of HIV/AIDS. The main presentations and discussions of the conference were held in three main sessions, namely, Basic Science, Clinical Research Treatment and Care and Biomedical Prevention.

Besides thought provoking presentations and discussions on the above-mentioned topics in the three main sessions, poster viewing and discussion sessions and a number of satellite sessions on major scientific breakthroughs, drug development, prevention strategies and programme management issues more organized on the sideline of the main conference by multinational pharmaceutical companies in collaboration with NGOs and non-profit charitable entities were important attractions.

PPD Executive Director Mr. Harry Jooseery and ICOMP Executive Director Prof. Jay Satia met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on between and 28 July 2007 and discussed on potential scopes for reinforced collaboration between the organizations. PPD and ICOMP have been working together in advocacy, leadership development and capacity building in the field of reproductive health and population since 1996. In successive meetings at ICOMP Office in Kuala Lumpur, the two leaders reviewed the decade of collaborations and explored avenues for future collaborations between the organizations.

The discussion was very cordial and productive which revealed many important complementarities providing ample scopes for PPD and ICOMP to work together for the benefits of the developing countries.

It is estimated that over 130 million women have been affected worldwide by some form of female genital cutting (FGC), with over 2 million procedures being performed every year. It is most commonly seen in a band of African countries that stretch from Senegal in West Africa to Somalia on the East coast, as well as, from Egypt in the north to Tanzania in the south.

It is not known that how long it has been practiced, but evidence from Egyptian mummies, suggests that a form of female circumcision was routinely practiced there some 5000 years ago. Currently the prevalence is 96% in Egypt which is affecting both the Muslim and Christian women (2005 EDHS).

Dr. Hatem El-Gabali, Honorable Minister of Health and Population on behalf of the Egypt Government finally announced banning of all forms of female circumcision by any doctor and member of the medical service, in public or private establishments in the country on 28th June 2007. Mentioning FGC as “permanent ban”, he said, “it will be viewed as a violation of the law and all contraventions will be punished”.

Several governments in Africa and elsewhere have taken steps to eliminate the practice in their countries, which include laws criminalizing FGM, education and outreach programs, and the use of civil remedies and administrative regulations to prevent the practice. PPD is keen in strengthening advocacy through its Forums in the member countries addressing the current challenges against the harmful practice and thereby restore reproductive health and rights of girls and women.