No.312Jana May-June 2006 Funded by UNFPA ISSN 0252-3639 United Nations Secretary-General presents first Human Development Award to Thai King

Secretary-General had an audience with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand to whom Mr. Annan presented the Human Development Lifetime Award on 26 May at the Royal Residence in Hua Hin. The Award was conferred in recognition of His Majesty’s dedication to improving the lives of Thai people. It was the first time that the UNDP award was presented to an individual in honour of his lifetime work to furthering the understanding and progress of human development in a national, regional or global context. The Award was presented during the auspicious occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the King’s accession to the throne. (Photo courtesy of UN Photo/Evan Schneider) Sexual and reproductive health worsens worldwide With more than half a million women dying economic planning and training of country teams each year during pregnancy and childbirth from for planning and working together. They will largely preventable causes, and 340 million new coordinate work in addressing female genital cases of sexually transmitted bacterial infections mutilation/cutting; obstetric fistula, a devastating annually, United Nations agencies are childbirth injury; violence against women; and a coordinating action to reverse the global trend of pilot programme in two countries to introduce the deteriorating levels of sexual and reproductive Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. health. “The key is to make practical plans in order to “There is a really worrying rise in the number implement these strategies”, UNFPA Executive and severity of sexually transmitted infections Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said. “We are (STI),” the World Health Organization (WHO) faced with an urgent need to increase investment Acting Director-General Anders NordstrÖm said. in sexual and reproductive health to ensure access “But the consequences of poor sexual and to quality reproductive health services, including reproductive health go well beyond STIs. They youth-friendly services, and to link HIV/AIDS lead directly to completely preventable illness and STI prevention with reproductive health and death..” services and vice versa”. Together with the United Nations Population (Source: UN News Centre, 21 June) Fund (UNFPA), WHO has identified a number of priority areas for joint action, including a Contents coordinated action plan for a global STI ...... prevention and control strategy, support to ª Three Gorges Dam near completion ...... 2 increase skilled health attendants in target countries, and plans to improve reproductive, ª Dangers of FGM revealed ...... 3 maternal, newborn and adolescent health. ª AIDS clock ticking ...... 4 The two agencies also call for the inclusion of ª ...... 5 sexual and reproductive health in national Avian flu in Asia and the Pacific UN ESCAP works towards reducing poverty and managing globalization World’s biggest-ever river dam nears completion After 13 years of breakneck construction that displaced more than a million villagers, China recently poured the final concrete on an enormous dam across the mighty Yangtze River, seeking to tame the flood-prone waterway that has nurtured and tormented the Chinese people for 5,000 years. As reported in a feature published in the Washington Post on 18 May, the Three Gorges Project, with 25,000 workers and a budget of USD 24 billion, is China’s most ambitious engineering undertaking since the Great Wall. It has replaced Brazil’s Structural work on the Three Gorges Dam was finished in May 2006, about nine months Itaipu Dam as the world’s largest ahead of schedule. Social costs linked to resettlements of population affected have been hydroelectric and flood-control described as accounting to about one third of the project’s cost. (Picture courtesy of installation, Chinese officials said, http://www.yangtzeriver.org/) with the strength to hold back more water than Lake Superior and power 26 generators to churn out 85 billion resettlements to more or less distant “The Government of China kilowatt-hours of electricity a year resettlement sites (within or outside emphasized moving out and resettling when the final touches are completed their counties) is also the focus of stably as the key objectives during the in 2008. much attention and concern. physical resettlement or transition The Asia-Pacific Population period of displacement. However, In its scope and ambition – as well Journal (available online from planning for the restoration of as its costs – the Three Gorges Project www.unescap.org/esid/psis/population/ livelihoods and production of the has become a symbol of China’s journal/index.asp), vol. 18, No. 3, dislocated rural migrants in the new relentless energy and determination to dedicated one article to the issue. environments remains inadequate”, take its place among the world’s great Contributed by Yan Tan, Graeme the authors noted. “Whether or not economic powers. Hugo and Lesley Potter, the article distant resettlements can produce a At the same time, critics of the examined the various patterns of sustainable reconstruction of project – they are many in China and resettlement of over 1.3 million livelihoods and production as well as abroad according to the Post –have persons over 17 years to 11 recipient local sustainable development in the questioned whether building a giant provinces and municipalities in China, destination locations remains to be dam is really scientific in the discussing underlying challenges. seen”. twenty-first century, when a few nations are weighing the wisdom of China closes sex-selection clinics damming their rivers. Despite the price tag, they note, the Three Gorges A Chinese province has closed 201 The crackdown underscores Dam will produce only 2 per cent of clinics that helped detect and abort concerns over the growing gender gap China’s electricity by 2010. female foetuses and is offering caused by a traditional preference for Moreover, environmentalists have stipends to elderly couples without male offspring and policies limiting warned that the backup of water sons in an attempt to counter China’s most couples to one child. Official behind the dam could end up as a giant figures show 117 boys are born in widening gender imbalance, the China for every 100 girls. The ratio in waste-collection pool for Chongqing, Government of China has announced. China’s largest urban conglomeration some parts of Hebei is as high as 134 about 250 miles upstream. Investigators in Hebei province, to 100. “There are two sides to everything, near Beijing, uncovered 848 cases Along with the crackdown, Heibei and the Three Gorges Dam is no over the past two years where medical is paying monthly stipends of about exception”, said Cao Guangjing, the staff had violated rules which prohibit USD 75 to couples without sons, building company’s deputy manager, gender checks that can lead to roughly the equivalent of an average quoted in the Post. “But many studies, abortions. monthly farming income. It is also undertaken since the beginning, have subsidizing school fees to help more shown that the advantages outweigh Of 745 hospitals and clinics than 8,000 women, who had to leave the disadvantages”. involved, 374 facilities were fined, and school prematurely, to return to classrooms. The massive displacement of over 104 medical workers had their licenses one million inhabitants of the Three revoked for arranging the illegal (Source: Associate Press reported in Gorges reservoir area and their forced practices. Push Journal, via [email protected] , 2 June) 2 Dangers of female genital People in the headlines Aiming to shore up contingency mutilation for childbirth revealed plans for the operation of the United Women who have had Female Nations in case of a human outbreak of Genital Mutilation (FGM) are bird flu, Secretary-General Kofi Annan significantly more likely to has named Ms. Imelda Henkin of the experience difficulties during Netherlands as the new Pandemic childbirth and their babies are more Influenza Preparedness Coordinator in likely to die as a result of the mid-May. Ms. Henkin is the former traditional yet gruesome practice, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director for according to a new United Nations Management who was overseeing a study released recently, which range of operations including in the reiterated calls for total abolition of a areas of emergency response and staff practice that currently affects 100 safety. She retired from the UNFPA on million people worldwide. 31 December 2005 (see Headliners No. The study, the first to give clear 310). evidence of the harmful effects for In her new capacity, Ms. Henkin women and babies, cites serious will be responsible for coordinating complications during childbirth the pandemic influenza planning and include the need to have a caesarean preparedness activities of all New section, dangerously heavy bleeding York-based United Nations after the birth and prolonged hospitalization, with the degree of organizations. complications increasing depending She will work closely with the on the extent and severity of the A young woman and her child awaiting main UN point man on the bird flu FGM. health care at a clinic in Jos, Nigeria. threat, Dr. David Nabarro, the Senior The death rate among babies (Photo by Liz Gilbert, Courtesy of the United Nations System Coordinator David and Lucile Packard Foundation) during and immediately after birth is for Avian and Human Influenza. also much higher, in some case up to haemorrhage in those with FGM III The International Planned about 55 per cent. Because the study compared to those women without Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has was carried out in hospitals, experts FGM. announced the appointment of a new said death and harm rates were probably significantly higher overall, As for the newborns, the research- Director-General, Ms. Gill Greer, as many women in the societies ers found an increased need to who will take over from Mr. Steven where FGM is practiced give birth at resuscitate those whose mothers had Sinding when he retires in end August home. had FGM, 66 per cent higher in the 2006. Ms. Greer, who has been the case of women who had had FGM III. Executive Director of the New “As a result of this study, we Zealand Family Planning Association have, for the first time, evidence that The death rate during and immediately after birth is also much since 1998, is expected to take over deliveries among women who have the role in late September 2006. been subject to FGM are significantly higher for those born to mothers with more likely to be complicated and FGM: 15 per cent so in those with Ms. Greer is also Chair of the New dangerous”, World Health FGM I (excision of the prepuce, with Zealand NGO Ministry of Health Organization (WHO) Assistant or without excision of part or all of the Forum, Chair of the Asia Pacific Director-General for Family and clitoris); 32 per cent in those with FGM Alliance for the advancement of Community Health, Joy Phumaphi II (excision of the clitoris with partial ICPD, a member of the International said of the practice which is or total excision of the labia minora); Development Advisory Committee particularly common in Africa. and 55 per cent in those with FGM III. for the New Zealand Minister of Women who have been subjected It is estimated that in the African Foreign Affairs and Trade. She holds to the most serious form of FGM – context an additional 10 to 20 babies a PhD in Women’s Literature, is an FGM III comprising excision of part die per 1,000 deliveries as a result of Honorary Research Fellow in or all of the external genitalia and the practice. Women’ Studies of Victoria stitching/narrowing of the vaginal The study involved 28,393 women University, Wellington, where she opening – will have on average 30 at 28 obstetric centres in six countries, was Assistant Vice Chancellor and per cent more caesarean sections where FGM is common - Burkina continues to be a guest lecturer. compared with those who have not Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal Among other awards and had any FGM. and . The centres varied from recognition, Ms. Greer was awarded Similarly there is a 70 per cent relatively isolated rural hospitals to the New Zealand Order of Merit for increase in numbers of women teaching hospitals in capital cities. services to family planning and suffering from postpartum (Source: UN News Centre, 2 June) literature in 2005. 3 Slum dwellers in developing countries may be worse off than in rural areas As the world’s urban population is set to exceed rural dwellers for the first time next year, a study issued recently by the United Nations shows that poor people living in urban areas are as badly off if not worse than their rural cousins, contradicting general assumptions that people living in towns and cities are healthier and more prosperous. “This report provides concrete evidence that there are two cities within one city – one part of the urban population that has all the benefits of urban living, and the other part, the slums and squatter settlements, where the poor often live under worse conditions than their rural relatives”, said Ms. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT that produced the State of the World’s People living in towns and cities are not necessarily healthier and more prosperous Cities Report 2006-2007. than those living in rural areas… Here, a homeless family sleeping on the sidewalk in The report shows remarkable New Delhi, India. (Photo copyright 2000 Alfredo L. Fort, Courtesy of Photoshare) similarities between slums and rural living in slums, including the fact that history, the world’s urban population areas in health, education, contrary to popular perception, young will exceed the rural population. employment and mortality, the adults living in slums are more likely According to the World Urbanization Agency said in a news release, adding to have a child, be married or head of Prospects, 2003 Revision released by the that it also shows how in countries household than their counterparts United Nations Population Division such as Bangladesh and India for living in non-slum areas. indeed, current projections indicate that example, child in slums The findings come at a time when the fifty per cent mark will be crossed in is comparable to that of rural areas. the world is entering an “historic 2007. Asia however will remain The report also debunks some urban transition”, the Agency says, predominantly rural till around 2025, commonly-held beliefs about people noting that in 2007 for the first time in according to this publication. AIDS clock ticking… The newly re-launched AIDS revised and expanded its reach. The Global AIDS Epidemic. The report Clock, an initiative of the UNFPA, has clock’s mission remains unchanged: was presented to the United Nations been counting the relentless toll of the to present the world with a powerful High-level Meeting on AIDS epidemic since 1997. symbol of the epidemic’s scale and the convened from 31 May to 2 June; a When UNFPA unveiled the AIDS urgent response it demands. fifth-year assessment of progress since Clock that year in the United Nations More than 65 million people have the Declaration of Commitment on public lobby in New York, it been infected with HIV since AIDS HIV/AIDS, adopted at an historic registered some 24 million people was first detected 25 years ago. More special session of the General living with HIV. By now, most of than 25 million people have died, and Assembly in 2001. those people have died and millions an estimated 40.3 million people are In addition to showing an estimate now living with HIV. more have become infected. In 1999, of the people living with HIV, the UNFPA launched the AIDS Clock as a “The AIDS Clock reminds us of how clock links to regional figures, fact web-based exhibit and has recently pressing our work is”, said UNFPA sheets and epidemiology trends, based Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed on information provided by UNAIDS. Obaid. “Behind each number is a face, a family and a circle of loved ones who are It also provides links, amongst others, also affected. Our goal is to slow down, to some of the major campaigns that and eventually turn back the AIDS Clock. work to spread awareness of the issue Preventing HIV is the key”. and mobilize effective responses. The clock, a multimedia advocacy The clock is available at tool, was recalibrated after new http://www.unfpa.org/aids_clock epidemiological data were released by UNAIDS in its 2006 Report on the (Source: UNFPA News, 23 May) 4 No easy human-to-human transmission of bird flu yet found Asia hardest hit by avian flu cases. China has experienced 19 Although the Asian region has been cases, of which 12 hardest hit by Avian and Human have been fatal. Influenza, or bird flu — with over 92 Addressing per cent of human cases occurring in nd the region — no evidence has been ESCAP’s 62 found so far that “efficient” Commission Ses- human-to-human transmission has sion held in Jakarta occurred. in April, Dr. David Nabarro, Senior Millions of birds have died or been United Nations culled as a result of outbreaks in System Coordina- numerous countries worldwide since tor for Avian and the lethal H5N1 avian flu virus strain Human Influenza, emerged in South-East Asia in advocated a Ducklings at the Centre for Animal Husbandry Research and December 2003, before spreading to multi-pronged Technology Transfer in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. (Photo Europe and Africa. approach to tackle courtesy of FAO) The number of cases among the disease and humans increased steadily and the introduced a template for formulating Experts are worried that if it did global death toll passed 100 in an integrated country plan for pan- mutate, the H5N1 strain could become mid-March 2006, with a mortality rate demic prevention and management. more easily transmitted between humans, leading to a worldwide of over 50 per cent. He highlighted the need for develop- pandemic that could kill millions of Of the 229 (as of 4 July) ing comprehensive in-country, people. intercountry and interagency coordi- laboratory-confirmed human cases According to a policy brief reported by the WHO since 2003, 212 nation networks. prepared by the Asian Development cases have occurred in Asia, with 122 In the wake of a cluster of avian flu Bank, the loss in Asia from such a deaths reported in seven countries. cases that killed seven members of a pandemic could almost reach USD 285 Viet Nam (93) has experienced the rural family in Indonesia in early May, billion or 6.5 percentage points of highest number of cases followed by WHO looked into the possibility that GDP in a worst case scenario causing Indonesia (52) and then Thailand (22). the virus spread from massive disruption to everyday life Viet Nam and Thailand have managed human-to-human but emphasized that through widespread quarantines and to keep their number of deaths to about there was no indication that the virus travel restrictions, imposing a huge half their respective total number of had mutated. burden on public health budgets. Chief of UNFPA calls on Imams to promote rights of women Winding up an official visit to Ms. Obaid spoke to the imams Earlier, as she walked into the Bangladesh recently, the UNFPA about Islam’s assertion of the “right of reproductive health clinic in Executive Director Ms. Thoraya girls to life, and not any life but to a Dhaka, Ms. Obaid was showered Ahmed Obaid addressed thousands of life of dignity and respect, in which with orange flower petals in tradi- members of the Grand Conference of women are given both political tional style. Clinic staff then Imams, urging them to promote the participation and economic briefed her on the services they pro- independence”. full and equal participation of women vide; family planning, in society. During the visit, she also “We hope the imams who have adolescent-friendly information promised to give computers to the already received training/orientation and services, maternal care, the reproductive health clinic in Dhaka, a are contributing to bring positive management and treatment of sexu- unique clinic in the capital and the first change towards the status of women”, ally transmitted infections, of its kind in South Asia. she said. “Being at the grassroots level and close to the community, you are in including HIV, and response to vio- The meeting of the Grand a unique position not only to save the lence against women. Conference of Imams, which receives lives of women and infants, but also to Most of the clients are young UNFPA and government support, was support women’s participation in the womenwhohadnoplacetogotofor opened by Prime Minister Begum overall development of the society”. advice before the clinic opened in Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh, who cited Ms. Obaid called on the religious 2001 and one third of them are poor. the imams’ role in promoting leaders to ensure that “the rights of tolerance, equal rights and social women as members of the society (Source: UNFPA press releases, 18 welfare. were well guarded and protected”. May) 5 Major Parliamentarian Conference on ICPD to be held in Bangkok Being of the view that partnership parliamentarians (2002), and resource Conference. HRH Princess Maha Chakri with parliamentarians is vital to build mobilization and the creation of an Sirindhorn will graciously preside over support for the International “enabling environment” for ICDP the Conference’s opening ceremony. Conference on Population and implementation (2004), respectively. Note: Look out for more coverage Development (ICPD) Programme of They were organized by a steering of this conference in upcoming issues Action and the Millennium committee comprising population and of Population Headliners. Development Goals, the United development-related regional and World Population Day 2006 Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) international parliamentary decided in 2002 to revive the organizations and UNFPA. World Population Day 2006 will focus on organizing of international the topic “Being Young is Tough”. parliamentarians conferences. The Third International UNFPA offices throughout the world will Parliamentarians Conference (2006) will take part in activities to mark the Day and From Bucharest to the Hague, be convened in Bangkok and will be raise awareness about important seven such conferences had been co-organized by the Asian Population and population and development issues, this organized with various regional Development Association (APDA), the year ; the promotion of young people’s parliamentary groups, resulting in the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on participation. In Thailand, the Day will development of global Population and Development (AFPPD) be marked parliamentarians movement on and UNFPA. As decided by the Steering on 12 July population and development. In 2002, and will take Committee meeting held in October in place at the UNFPA decided to initiate a new Tokyo, the 2006 conference will take College of series of such conferences on ICPD to place on 21 and 22 November and will Public be held every two years. review the progress made in Health, The 2002 conference in Ottawa parliamentary advocacy since the 2004 Chulalongk was attended by 103 representatives Strasbourg conference. It is expected that orn Ms. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive University. from 73 countries. The 2004 For more conference was attended by over 150 Director, UNFPA and Ms. Gill Greer, information, parliamentarians from 90 countries. new Director-General (see page 3), please visit The two conferences discussed the International Planned Parenthood http://www.u establishment of a global system of Federation (IPPF) will be among the nfpa.org/wp regular monitoring and follow-up for keynote speakers addressing the d/index.htm Population Headliners is issued six times per year by the Emerging Social Issues Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. The newsletter is produced with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Project No. RAS 5P203. 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