Summary: July 24, 2002: Reproductive Health in Developing Countries: The Commission moves to fill the 'decency gap' with €32 million package (Brussels)
The European Commission has strengthened its support for sexual and reproduction health with the approval by Member States of a €32 million programme in 22(1) developing countries. The joint EU-ACP programme is being launched in partnership with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and will help the target countries with family planning and advice on population, health and sexual matters.
This decision makes good a promise made by Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Poul Nielson last year to step in and fill the 'decency gap' left by the US Administration's intention to end its support for the UNFPA. Welcoming the green light given to the Commission proposal and commenting on the US move, Mr Nielson said, "We highly value the work carried out by organisations such as the IPPF and the UNFPA. We consider that their efforts in areas such as contraception and
HIV/AIDS form part of the solution to challenges in developing countries rather than part of the problem. The US decision is regrettable and counter-productive. The decision to cut funding to the UNFPA may well lead to more unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and increased dangers for mothers and infants. The losers from this decision will be some of the most vulnerable people on this planet. Reproductive health services are crucial elements in the fight against poverty and the UNFPA and the
IPPF deserve strong support to continue their activities."
Most of the 22 countries that will benefit from this EU-ACP programme are amongst the poorest countries on the planet in terms of development indicators. The maternal mortality rate varies from 500 to 1800 maternal deaths for every 100 000 live births. In Malawi, maternal mortality is increasing by 50%. This programme aims to reinforce the capacity of these countries to provide a wide range of services, including pre- and post-natal care, assisted births, family planning, prevention and
treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (like HIV/AIDS) and information and advice to young people vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The programme, which will be carried out over a period of three and a half years, forms part of wider Commission policy in this area, particularly with regard to information and education of populations and improvements in the use and quality of services on offer.
The EU Development Council issued Conclusions on 30 May this year strongly supporting the activities of the UNFPA, and invited donor countries to continue their support of the UNFPA. The Conclusions also considered these activities "to be in strict conformity with the Action Programme unanimously adopted at the International Conference for Population and Development in Cairo in 1994". Ministers also welcomed the Commission's intention to strengthen its cooperation with the UNFPA, which has an
international mandate from the Cairo conference. The Commission has also chosen the IPPF as a partner, which, thanks to its impressive network of associations and volunteers, is able to access the most vulnerable and socially excluded populations. IPPF and UNFPA will work in close collaboration with counterparts at government, community and NGO levels.
The Commission has been supporting work in this area since the 1980's. Aid tripled between 1994 and 1998 when €800 million was allocated, and for 2000 alone, it reached over €300 million. The type of work has evolved considerably, in particular to implement the Action Programme adopted at the International Conference for Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. This Conference recognised that sexual and reproductive health is a crucial element in the fight against poverty - the cornerstone
of EU development policy. The fight against maternal mortality and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS are also objectives of the Millennium Development Goals, supported by the EU. Health is a priority area of EU development policy with a total ongoing portfolio of €4.6 billion.
(1) Burkina Faso, Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Haiti, Jamaica, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Surinam, Sudan, Tanzania, Tuvalu and Zambia.
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