Remembering Drowning as a Cause of Child Mortality

SOC Children's Village 24 May 2012   24/05/2012 – Both the United Nations Children’s Fund and The Alliance for Safe Children are urging the international community to recognize this “hidden killer” as a factor in child mortality.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Innocenti Research Centre and water safety expert organization, The Alliance for Safe Children (TASC), are working together to curb accidental death by drowning among children in Asia.

The two groups brought awareness to the issue with the launch of a new report, entitled, Child Drowning: Evidence for a Newly Recognized Cause of Child Mortality in Low and Middle-income Countries in Asia. The report presents a number of interesting findings about the extent to which accidental death contributes to child mortality in several Asian countries.

In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam and parts of China, drowning is a leading cause of death in childhood—accounting for one fourth of all childhood deaths after infancy. In rural Bangladesh in particular, drowning rates are up to 50 per cent higher than in Australia.  In Asia generally, other research has shown, child mortality from drowning is also about 30 times higher than it is in the United States.
UNICEF’s research director, Gordon Alexander, called drowning a “hidden killer.”

“Over the past three decades countries have made strong, continuous progress on infectious disease reduction . . . And yet drowning is off the political radar,” he said.

According to the two groups’ report, most instances of child drowning are preventable. Children are most likely to fall victim to local hazards and drown within 20 metres of their homes, usually when they are unsupervised.

Yet, interventions to save lives are not altogether unaffordable. One study showed that putting children in crèches (nurseries or early childhood education centres) can cut drowning deaths by fourth-fifths. Even better results can be achieved by teaching kids about swimming and water safety. Enrolling children in SwimSafe programmes cut deaths by 90 per cent.

“There is no difference whether a child dies from measles, diarrhea, pneumonia or drowning; it is equally tragic,” said Pete Peterson, President of TASC in a news release. “Like these other causes, child drowning is a leading cause of death in children and now that we know it is equally preventable, it is time to act.”

The report notes among its recommendations that raising awareness about the issue of drowning and child fatalities can help achieve the fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on child mortality. The MDGs are a set of eight benchmarks for achieving meaningful progress in global development. Goal #4 calls for a two-thirds reduction in the number of child deaths since 1990 by the year 2015.

Cambodia: Using the airwaves to fight malnutrition

Source: MDG-Fund
URL: http://www.mdgfund.org/story/cambodia-using-airwaves-fight-malnutrition

The factory workers in Kampong Speu and Svay Rieng in southern Cambodia have all heard the story of Sophary.

Sophary, a teenager growing up in a strict family, ran way to the capital and landed a job in a factory, only to fall in love with a man who abandoned her when she became pregnant.  Fortunately, Sophary’s friend Phina convinced her to seek prenatal care at a health center, where she met a sympathetic woman doctor who persuaded Sophary to keep her baby and taught her proper nutrition and hygiene.

Sophary is the star of a radio spot produced with support from the MDG-Fund to improve maternal and child health and increase food security and nutrition in one of the poorest countries in the world.

44 % of Cambodian children under 5 are stunted, 29 % are moderately to severely underweight, and a third of the population lives below the poverty line. Nearly 60% of pregnant women are anemic. The Joint UN Programme on Children, Food Security and Nutrition targets pregnant and lactating mothers and children aged 0-24 months. 

Radio dramas teach good practices

The radio spots have so far been heard by more than 14,000 workers in the garment and shoe industries, where the workforce is 90% women. The episodes, six dramas and magazines, are played over the factories’ sounds systems and cover topics such as breastfeeding, complementary feeding, food, nutrition, health care and hygiene.

The project hopes to break the cycle of under- and malnutrition, which is closely linked to poverty and stunted physical and intellectual development, and whose consequences can persist for generations.
The Joint Programme is also providing micronutrient and vitamin supplements to women and children, and has produced packages to manage acute malnutrition in five health centers in Kampong Speu province. It has established a food security and nutrition monitoring system, and assisted in the development of several national maternal and child nutrition policies. 

Improving nutrition and food security

The Joint Programme for Children, Food Security and Nutrition is a collaboration between the Cambodian government and six UN agencies – the WFP, WHO, FAO, UNICEF, UNESCO and ILO.

Its aim is to improve the nutritional status of children 0-24 months and pregnant and lactating women, to strengthen and develop Cambodia’s food policies and to help create a food and nutrition monitoring system.

So far, some 26,000 children have received micronutrient supplements, 123,000 have received Vitamin A, 110,000 have been treated for deworming, and 90,000 pregnant, post-partum or reproductive age women have received Iron Folic Acid supplements. Among other interventions, more than 3200 health workers have been trained in the use of micronutrients or in counseling for breast-feeding and complementary feeding.

Complementary feeding campaign launched in Cambodia

Press release

Complementary feeding campaign launched in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA, 27 April 2012 - The Royal Government of Cambodia in collaboration with UNICEF, USAID, WHO and other development partners, launched a nationwide campaign today on complementary feeding for children aged  6 – 24 months to ensure they receive adequate nutrition from the combination of complementary food and breast milk.

In Cambodia, malnutrition affects the majority of children under the age of five. It is caused by the inability to afford nutritious food, high rates of infectious diseases and inappropriate feeding practices. The consequences of malnutrition are severe. It is one of the top underlying causes of child mortality and morbidity in Cambodia and its lasting repercussions continue into adulthood, impairing both mental and physical development that results in poor performance in school and limited opportunities for work in later life.
“By seeking to improve complementary feeding for children 6 to 24 months we are addressing one of the major barriers to Cambodia reaching its full potential in the future – the healthy development of its children,” said UNICEF Deputy Representative, Sunah Kim at the launch.

The impact of malnutrition can be clearly seen across Cambodia and roughly 40 per cent of children age five and under are too small for their age and another 28 per cent are underweight. A smaller, though troubling 11 per cent of children are wasted (thin). Cambodian women are equally susceptible to malnutrition, with 19 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 considered too thin – a situation that increases risk for complications during birth and leads to low birth weight of their babies. 

“Although, there is a success in promotion of breastfeeding the appropriate complementary feeding practice is still the main factor contributing to high rate of malnutrition in the country,” said Professor Eng Huot, Secretary of State, Ministry of Health. “Mothers and caregivers have an important role to ensure children receive appropriate and quality complementary food.”

The campaign, financially supported by Spain through the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) and USAID, will encourage mothers and caregivers through home visits and group meetings, to adopt and maintain improved complementary feeding by ensuring that the right food is given to young children in the right way and at the right time.

As part of the campaign to help promote the adoption of good practices in relation to appropriate complementary feeding, messages will be effectively conveyed through the use of television and radio. Several print materials have been developed and a Child Health Fair will also be organised using a training video to show mothers and caregivers how to prepare nutritious complementary food.

Ultimately, the campaign will contribute to improving the nutritional status of Cambodian children; contribute to the reduction of child malnutrition and accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 1 and 4: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; and reduce child mortality respectively.

About UNICEFUNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

For further information, please contact:
Ms. Angelique Reid, Communication Officer, UNICEF Cambodia 
Tel:  +855 23 426 214/5, 077 899 501
Email: areid@unicef.org

Food security: an urgent priority of EU development policy - Andris Piebalgs Commissioner for Development

Food security: an urgent priority of EU development policy - Andris Piebalgs Commissioner for Development Source: European Commission  5 October, 2011  Ms Zimmer, Mr Berman, Mr Sall, Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me begin by thanking the European Parliament's Committee on Development for organising this public hearing on food security in developing countries. Your committee has consistently shown a close interest in food security issues and the global food challenge. So has the Commission: agriculture and food security are priority areas of our development cooperation. Food security – pressing challenges Ensuring that every citizen is properly fed and has access to food should be at the forefront of our minds and consciousnesses. Not only when we hear that commodity prices are increasing; not only when we see images of food riots on our TV screens; not only when we realize that drought or war have made food unavailable to thousands of people… What is to be taken for granted by us is a luxury in many developing countries. And this is not acceptable anymore in the 21st century. A century of immense opportunities and challenges, and at the same time a century when we (re)discover the very simple essence of life – access to food. Food security and rural development have always been top priorities for the European Commission. We have never de-invested from those fundamental sectors and we have played a leading role in those areas for many years. The EU Food facility, the MDG initiative and the renewed EU Food Security Policy adopted last year are just a few concrete signs of this commitment. Annual commitments to "agriculture, food security, territorial planning and rural development" reach about 800 M€ per annum. In more than 40 countries around the world, this is a focal sector of our cooperation. Statistics show that supporting those areas offer the best return on investments that you could hope for in terms of poverty alleviation. This is why we will increase our support in the years to come. Of course, we must be realistic 1/ First, because food insecurity is a complex problem that needs to be tackled through various measures, including measures that enhance agricultural productivity, that promote the creation of opportunities in the labour market, and through social protection and assistance mechanisms. 2/ Secondly, because progress on food security will not be without its challenges. Production increases will be needed year on year to feed a growing world population; greater efficiency will be needed to cope with the pressures on natural resources and reduce avoidable losses in post-harvest production. The adverse impacts of climate change and excessive price volatility both add to these challenges and to the urgent need for greater investment from donors and partner countries alike if we truly want to reduce hunger. As well as greater investment, we need fully concerted and coordinated action between donors and partner countries if we are to make food security a reality. The example of the Horn of Africa which is suffering the most severe food crisis shows that it is not simply the result of the region's worst drought in sixty years and the recent hike in food prices; but a complex set of causes is at play here. So, now more than ever, we must act together and provide a response both to the immediate crisis and for the longer term. An EU policy to achieve food security for all The EU is actively engaged in fighting hunger and malnutrition (MDG 1), with specific attention targeted at the most vulnerable. Last year, policy frameworks on food security and humanitarian food assistance were adopted and they should give greater coherence and impact to our efforts, with a clear priority on small farmers and on women. With the Council having endorsed them last year, and with a joint implementation plan on food security in the pipeline, this food security policy is truly an EU policy. So I am delighted that the European Parliament's report on food security, drafted by the co-moderator of this session, Gabriele Zimmer, welcomes the EU policy framework and shares many of its priorities. And I am pleased to see the Commission and Parliament embracing a common vision on food security, also underlining how complex the issue is. I will not have time to reply to all of her suggestions, but you will hear that I have read her report very carefully Ensuring tangible results for the most vulnerable During my recent visit to the Horn of Africa, I witnessed at first hand the devastating consequences of hunger and malnutrition in a small children's hospital in Djibouti. Hunger and malnutrition kill, and, for those who survive it, it can have irreversible, life-long consequences. This is where we must achieve the link between relief, rehabilitation and development. I am working closely with my fellow commissioner ms Georgieva. Also, two weeks ago, along with EU Member States ministers Eamon Gilmore and Andrew Mitchell, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton we repeated our commitment to support partner countries' plans to fight hunger and scale up nutrition. With a number of Member States, we also developed technical guidance to ensure that investments in the agricultural sector translated into concrete nutrition improvements for women and children. A global response to global issues Eradicating hunger and extreme poverty is a global concern and as such requires a global response. That is why governance in food security is so important. And this is why the EU is a major contributor to global food security governance – especially through the reformed Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and for implementation of the Food Security agenda in the G8/G20 context. Alongside – and hopefully as part of – this search for global solutions, the EU will pursue its food security policy and ensure that this is backed up with suitable investments. Investing in agriculture and food security The EU is serious about investing in sustainable agriculture and food security to speed up progress towards the MDGs and reduce poverty. This is why, as the world's largest grant donor, we are leading by example. We are spearheading efforts to encourage donors worldwide to give appropriate space to food security and rural development in their development cooperation. Overall, the European Commission is meeting its 2009 L'Aquila pledge to support agriculture and food security. In 2010 alone, we have already made more than 50% of this commitment available. On top of this, the Commission has launched the 1 billion euro 'MDG Initiative' which has at its core agriculture and food security. And our commitment does not end there. Our recent public debate on the future of EU development policy has clearly identified agriculture and food security as key areas in which the EU should promote inclusive and green growth. The Commission will soon make a proposal to increase the impact of EU development policy, which will include focusing its support on sectors which have a strong multiplier impact on developing countries' economies, and which at the same time offer strong opportunities in the fields of climate change prevention and adaptation. This means placing strong emphasis on agriculture. I am also pleased to see that the European Parliament makes the same link as the Commission does: that sustainable Energy and Agriculture are the foundations for a sustainable growth. Let me raise here a couple of principles that I want to see at the core of our future policy on agriculture and food security: Commitments are needed on both sides. We cannot impose a focus on food security from the top; it has to be a bottom-up process. So we need our partner countries to commit to this agenda as much as we do. It is them who can do the most to achieve food security in their countries by prioritising agriculture and food security and by delivering on their commitments. For example, in Africa the Commission strongly supports governments in delivering on their commitments made in Maputo in 2003 to dedicate 10% of their national budgets to agriculture. I will propose that we commit to match the commitments of a government in a given country where agriculture is a sector of concentration. Investments are needed in the whole chain. There is no point to invest in agriculture and food security if we don't invest in the whole value chain. Our aid can only be high-impact if we address each and every part of the chain, from access to land and water to seeds, from infrastructures to storage, from transport to distribution, etc. One single donor cannot invest in the whole chain, but here stands our responsibility to ensure a real division of labour and to focus on everyone's added value and comparative advantage. In that respect, it is more than time that we join forces with the other players active in the sector, namely the private sector. Public and private investments could be enhanced with EU funding along the agricultural growth corridor concept where conditions are met for leveraging private investments that benefit smallholders and foster broad-based growth of the local economy and food security. But let me be very clear, in all cases, it is essential that our support at all levels strengthens secure and equitable access to land, in particular for vulnerable groups. In that respect, I will propose that we condition our assistance to a full transparency in land deals by our partners and to the existence of a clear share of profits to the benefit of the local populations. I will propose that we work along with investors to ensure that a substantial share of profits/investments benefits goes to the local economy. Of course, this can only work if we do it all together. This is why the EU will continue to support the rapid adoption of responsible agricultural investments rules. Ladies and Gentlemen, My objective is to equip the EU with an up-to-date framework for our development work over the coming decade and heighten our aid's effectiveness and impact. With a special focus on agriculture, my intention is to provide a sustainable response to help eradicate poverty. This will, in turn, enable us to make strides with food security and nutrition. I will close here. I look forward to taking your questions and hearing your views in a moment. Thank you.

Radio dramas: The White Cloth

“The White Cloth”

--*V*--

Story Outline

Sophary is a teenage-woman who was living in a very traditional and strict family in her hometown. She could not stand her family, with her parents who always told and guided her to do everything she mostly did not want to do and also prohibited her from doing what she wanted. Sophary then decides to ask her friend, Phina, to help her escape to live in the capital. She becomes a factory worker in a firm named “Soksabay”. While working there, she meets a man, Vira, who she considers as her future husband. They finally make a serious relationship, which ends up with pregnancy.

Sophary is a completely white blank cloth who knows nothing about how to take care of herself during pregnancy, but fortunately she has Phina who is a member of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee. Phina explains to her the advantages of ante-natal checks at the hospital. After finding out that Sophary is pregnant, Vira decides to leave her alone with a two-month-old embryo inside her abdomen.

Sophary can not live with this shame at all, so she goes to see the doctor following Phina’s advice, not with a thought of having the health check but abortion instead. The doctor explains to her about the negative impact of abortion and tells Sophary of her own experience raising her children alone for 15 years since her husband left. Sophary makes up her mind and decides to keep the baby, full of confidence and fully supported by her best friend. The doctor also explains to her about the three groups of healthy food that she needs to eat.

One day, Phina goes to talk with Vira about leaving Sophary, while he is drinking with his friend in front of the rent house. As a result, Phina is raped and ends up with another baby. The two best friends both become pregnant but they both agree with a strong commitment to raise their babies alone without fathers. Phina is a strong-hearted person, and at the end is voted to be a committee member of the factory.

Three main messages:

1-  Go to the health centre after recently missing period

2-  Three main groups of healthy food

3-  Eating safety at clean environment

  

Produced by ៖        Voice of Democracy VOD​​​

Sponsored by ៖      (MDG-F Joint Programme)  via Better Factories Cambodia of ILO

Not Enough Cambodians Pitching In for Development: Volunteers

Source:VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh, 14 September 2011

By Say Mony

Photo: by Heng Reaksmey

Diep Sovannaroth, left, a program assistant for UN Volunteers, and Chhuon Thavrith, right, a former volunteer at UN Volunteers who now works for UNDP, were our guests on 'Hello VOA' on Monday.

“Only when we Cambodians ourselves contribute to the solutions to existing challenges or problems will the country develop.”  

If more Cambodians do not start pitching in and volunteering, the country risks missing key development goals in coming years, a youth advocate said Monday.

Cambodia is trying to meet a series of UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015, but it is lagging behind in key sectors. And while there are a number of foreign volunteers working in the country, there is not enough local help, Diep Sovannaroth, a program assistant for UN Volunteers, told “Hello VOA.”

“Only when we Cambodians ourselves contribute to the solutions to existing challenges or problems will the country develop,” she said. “So volunteerism plays a very important role here.”

Cambodia marked the 10^th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers last week, as development officials called on more volunteer activities to push the country towards its 2015 goals.

“You can be a part-time volunteer with an organization wherever you see a problem and think you can offer a hand to help fix it,” Diep Sovannaroth said. “Then you become part of the solution.”

Visal, a “Hello VOA” caller from Kampong Cham province, said that the idea of volunteering is not new to Cambodians, but few seem eager to take on volunteer work. And there is little encouragement from the government.

“Apart from youth community participation, why doesn’t the government encourage them to voluntarily engage in its work too?” Visal asked.

Sarom, a caller from Phnom Penh, said volunteer work should be encouraged at universities “across the country.”

Chhuon Thavrith, a former volunteer at UN Volunteers who now works for UNDP, who was also a guest on Monday, said volunteer work does more than develop the country; it helps boost personal development as well.

“Being a volunteer gives us self-worth when we sacrifice for the cause of development and peace in the country,” said Chhuon Thavrith, who also volunteered recently in the vote to split the new country of South Sudan from Sudan. “As workers, we are proud to have contributed to building history and…to gain experience for future jobs.”

Domestic violence in Cambodia down sharply, researchers say

Source: Monsters and Critics (M&C)

Phnom Penh - The number of Cambodian families reporting cases of domestic violence has dropped 24 per cent in recent years, researchers said Wednesday, an improvement they ascribed to moves to raise awareness of the issue.

The news was welcomed by Dr Ing Kantha Phavi, the minister of women's affairs, who told a press conference the findings showed people's attitudes towards domestic violence were changing.
'They do not accept domestic violence any more. Before when we talked to them they said it was a family issue and neighbours closed their eyes to it,' she said. 'Now we have the law and education and they are aware that domestic violence is not a family issue - it impacts on society and national development.'
The research, which was supported by the German government's aid arm GIZ and Spain's AECID, collated information from across government, civil society and media.

The number of families nationwide reporting a case of domestic violence dropped from 42,436 to 35,408 from 2006 to 09. Comparing that against population growth translated into a 24 per cent decline.
The report's author, Marion Bihler, described the decline in the prevalence of domestic violence as 'quite astounding on the global scale' where reductions of 5-10 per cent are considered a success.

Bihler said the statistics underpinning the findings were 'very rigorous.' However she noted that a lack of reliable data on rape and trafficking meant researchers could not determine trends associated with those forms of violence.

'Violence against women remains widely prevalent, with indications that some forms - particularly rape - continue to exhibit high degrees of incidence,' Bihler said.

The 'Report on Data Collection and Monitoring of Violence Against Women in Cambodia, 2010' was released in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

It noted significant declines in the number of women reporting various types of abuse at the hands of their husbands. In 2005, for example, 5 per cent of women said they had been threatened with a knife. That had declined to 1 per cent by 2009.

The report called for a national system to monitor the number of cases of violence against women, saying it was 'urgently needed.'

Under its Millennium Development Goals, Cambodia committed itself to reducing violence against women and children 'significantly' by 2015. GIZ and AECID are working with the government to establish a national monitoring system to track violence against women.

 

Where it is ‘dangerous’ to be a woman

Where it is ‘dangerous’ to be a woman
By: Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
URL:
 http://opinion.inquirer.net/6737/where-it-is-‘dangerous’-to-be-a-woman
| Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

There is nothing like travel outside of the Philippines to make one appreciate this country, warts and all.

Especially if one goes through an airport like that of Addis Ababa which I will vote for as one of the world’s worst, with congestion, confusion, kilometers-long lines, the lack of directional signs and rude attendants adding to the mix. To show you how bad it was, I walked through the Naia Terminal 1 upon my arrival with actual gratitude and gladness.

In fairness, though, and this is an entirely unsolicited view, Terminal 1 these days seems to be looking, if not entirely spiffy, then at least less grubby than it was in the past. The carpets actually looked brighter and a lot less dingy. The queues at Immigration were shorter, and at the baggage carousel, there were pleasant, clean-cut young men greeting passengers and assisting them to recover their bags, with no overt (and annoying) pleas for tips, as in the past. Only the fact that my luggage was left behind in Bangkok (come on, Thai Airways, get a move on!) made my arrival a less than optimal experience.

Anyway, it’s good to be home. Ethiopia was an exhausting but stimulating experience. Addis Ababa is a dusty (muddy when it rains), sooty and unruly city, but with astonishing sights at unexpected turns. One minute, we’re driving through rough, rocky lanes, then we turn a corner and come upon the magnificent campus of Addis Ababa University, with its imposing gates and greenery.

If anything, the visit to Ethiopia made me realize that while I may live in a poor country, there are so many others that are poorer. But at the same time, we—including Filipinos and Ethiopians—are all working toward finding solutions to our problems and both our challenges and the ways we are devising to get over them have so much in common.
* * *
Neither the Philippines nor Ethiopia belongs to the list of “the five most dangerous countries for women.” The five are, in the order they’re listed: Afghanistan, Congo, Pakistan, India and Somalia.

The list was put together by TrustLaw, described by The Christian Science Monitor as “an organization that provides legal aid information on women’s rights.” The group polled more than 200 international gender experts and based their ranking on “general perception of danger and six other issues—health threats, discrimination, cultural and religious norms, sexual violence, nonsexual violence and trafficking.”

Of course, the fact that the five “most dangerous” countries are either currently at war or just recovered from war, or in the case of India constantly facing the threat of war, contributes to the precarious situation of women. But violence in the streets and at home also puts women at risk, while poverty, gender stereotypes and plain official indifference to women’s health and status add to the dangers that women face.
* * *
Maryan Qasim, minister for women of Somalia, puts the assessment of “danger” for women in context, saying that women there face so many risks she was “surprised the country was not first on the list.”

“The most dangerous thing a woman in Somalia can do is to become pregnant,” declared Qasim. “When a woman becomes pregnant her life is 50-50 because there is no antenatal care at all. There are no hospitals, no health care, no nothing.”

Mothers are similarly at risk in Ethiopia, with a maternal mortality rate (MMR, the number of women dying due to pregnancy and childbirth for every 100,000 live births) at 470. The country’s health authorities hope to cut the number to 276 to meet its own Millennium Development Goal.

In this, the Philippines—and Filipinas—may find a measure of comfort. Our own MMR is 162, and our own MDG goal is to lower it to 52, although most experts are deeply skeptical about the government’s ability to meet this goal by 2015.

But even these seemingly “good” numbers pale beside the accomplishment of our neighbors in Southeast Asia. Three countries in Southeast Asia— Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia—have achieved maternal mortality rates of below 10, while countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are making remarkable progress in lowering their MMRs, though Indonesia still posts a higher MMR than the Philippines.

Still, despite official pronouncements of our own government’s “determination” to meet MDG 5 on maternal survival, progress on reducing the number of mothers dying has stalled or at least slowed down. At this rate, we are currently in a “contest” with Cambodia, Laos and East Timor to see who posts the worst performance with regard to meeting (or not meeting) MDG 5.
* * *
Almost all, 99 percent to be exact, of maternal deaths in the world occur in developing countries. Ireland, for instance, posts an MMR of 1.
Southeast Asia, in fact, has been one of the “best performing” regions of the world when it comes to maternal mortality rate reduction. Sub-Saharan Africa, where Ethiopia belongs, in contrast, is the worst performing region.
But as the case of India proves, it isn’t only poverty that lies at the root of mothers’ vulnerability and risk. The top risk factors for women in India, TrustLaw states, are “female feticide (selective abortion and infanticide), child marriage, women trafficking and domestic servitude.”

The risks connected with being female in India thus begin even before birth, where being a female fetus means running the risk of selective abortion.
So it is not just poverty—which of course impacts on health status, living conditions, the availability of facilities for pre-natal care and childbirth—that makes life dangerous for women. It is also culture and tradition, which determines women’s status and our claim to equal rights and equal treatment.

Angkor Vat and a Millennium of Khmer Art

Maternal and child health as a central issue in the RH bill

Maternal and child health as a central issue in the RH bill
By: M.D., Rafael Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
9:03 pm | Friday, June 3rd, 2011

I’m looking forward to the final happy resolution of the stormy debates which the reproductive health (RH) bill controversy has been spawning. Disagreement and differences in opinions can be healthy up to a certain point, but when the debates generate more divergence and it already creates a yawning gap that cannot be bridged by objectivity and reason, then it doesn’t look good not only for the protagonists on both sides, but more so for the ordinary people for whom the bill is really intended.

It’s sad when friendships and even family relations are already affected when people take extreme, sometimes fundamentalist sides. When emotions are allowed to get the better of one’s perspective, the issues are beclouded and it’s difficult to make room for tolerance and objectivity.

I have openly expressed my support for the RH bill in this column, in the few panel discussions that I have been invited to participate in, and in my personal conversations with colleagues, family and friends. I’ve always come to the conclusion that both pro- and anti-RH bill proponents have the same end and goal in mind, but it’s just a matter of different perspective.

It’s also unfortunate when the debate turns to hair-splitting and hinges on inconsequential issues which have already been settled, like labelling contraceptives as abortifacients, or magnifying the potential of contraceptives to cause strokes and heart attacks. Although there’s a miniscule risk which has long been known, the benefits which contraceptives offer in terms of avoiding unwanted pregnancies and several other medical indications, far outweigh whatever risk they may have.

In any field of Medicine, there is never a perfect drug. All drugs are associated with some side effects. It’s important though that when the drug is weighed on the balance, it tilts heavily on the side of benefits and favorable effects rather than adverse effects.

Population control is definitely an urgent problem that has to be addressed. As the pro-RH proponents argue, the country has a rapidly growing population, with the Filipino women’s fertility rate “at the upper bracket of 206 countries” making the Philippines “the 12th most populous nation in the world today.”

With the real-life situation that our women are getting pregnant more frequently than their means could afford them to, the family is “blessed” or “burdened”—depending on which side is describing the situation—with more children which a big number of families mired in poverty, are in no position to feed and raise properly.

One cannot turn one’s head away from the fact that we have an alarming level of maternal and child mortality; with an average of 11 mothers dying daily from childbirth, one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

From where I see it, there is no question that we need a reproductive health policy that could implement clear, definitive and effective measures to control unplanned pregnancies; provided of course that these measures are medically safe and legal. Our constitution, which we all swear to uphold and defend, and invoke God’s help to do so,  mandates that “the state shall promote without bias all effective natural and modern methods of family planning that are medically safe and legal.”

Sen. Edgardo Angara simplifies the issue in his column in Vital Signs, a newspaper for doctors and healthcare professionals, saying, “Let us not forget what truly lies at the heart of the issue: health.”

He cites WHO 2010 statistics which shows the health inequalities in the country. “Child delivery in urban areas are attended by skilled health personnel at a rate of 79 percent against only 41 percent in rural locales,” he writes.

Senator Angara explains that 92 percent of births among the highest quintile of the population is supervised professionally versus only 25 percent of births among the poorest quintile. “The result is a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 230 per 100,000 live births, based on WHO’s estimates. This was nearly three times the average of 82 for the Western Pacific Region, and the highest among Southeast Asian neighbors Brunei (13), Singapore (14), Malaysia (62) and Vietnam (150). We only did better than Cambodia (540).”

I agree with Senator Angara that it’s primarily a question of health; add in wellness of our mothers and children, if you wish. Whatever doctrinal convictions we have should be premised on this central issue. Doing it the other way around may not be the more rational way to look at it.

HIV/AIDS fight: Asia-Pacific gains ‘fragile’

HIV/AIDS fight: Asia-Pacific gains ‘fragile’
Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, Paris | Wed, 06/08/2011 
The Jakarta Post

Thirty years ago, US scientists identified the first case of an immune system failure that we (Luc Montagnier, myself and colleagues) found two years later to be caused by HIV.

Twenty years later at a landmark UN General Assembly Special Session, world leaders declared that AIDS was a “global emergency” and called for an “urgent, coordinated and sustained response” to the epidemic.

Now, three decades into the epidemic, what is the global scorecard for the AIDS response?

From June 8-10, world leaders will convene in New York City at the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS.

The gathering of heads of state and other leaders from government, the scientific community, civil society and the private sector offers a unique opportunity to chart the future course of the global AIDS response.

The meeting comes at a critical time.

According to a recent report of the UN Secretary-General, more than six million people were accessing lifesaving antiretroviral treatments in low- and middle-income countries at the end of 2010 — up from just 400,000 in 2003. In the past 10 years, the number of people newly infected with HIV declined by nearly 20 percent. 

And in 2009, more than 50 percent of HIV-positive women were able to unsure their babies were born HIV-free.

In the Asia-Pacific region, there have been significant gains.

The number of people living with HIV appears to have remained stable for the past five years and estimated new infections are 20 percent lower than in 2001. 

Thailand, Cambodia and India have turned their epidemics around by providing services to their most at-risk populations. 

Cambodia is one of only eight countries worldwide to have reached universal access to antiretroviral therapy and Thailand has reported 80 percent coverage of prevention of parent-to-child transmission services.

But Asia-Pacific’s great strides are fragile, as they are in the rest of the world.

Despite incredible efforts, the HIV epidemic continues to outpace the response, with an estimated two new HIV infections for every individual starting treatment. AIDS resources have flat-lined, and critical sources of leadership and accountability remain untapped. 

In Asia-Pacific, communities most vulnerable to HIV — sex workers, drug users, men who have sex with men, transgender people —are not being well enough reached for HIV prevention and treatment. 

And 90 percent of the countries in the region have laws or practices that hamper access to HIV services for people living with HIV and/or people from key affected populations.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Cambodia to discuss the national progress on HIV. Here, the dichotomy of success and challenges are clear. 

Although Cambodia has seen some of the most significant achievements in the region for halting and reversing the spread of HIV — the country was presented with a MDG award to that effect at the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Summit earlier this year — the success of Cambodia, continues to be challenged by high infection rates amongst most-at-risk populations including injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men. 

HIV prevalence among injecting drug users, for example, is 24.4 percent, a stark and sobering figure when compared to Cambodia’s HIV prevalence of 0.7 percent among the general population.

Clearly, tailored, focused efforts are needed — and those that address not just the communities themselves, but the external legal and social pressures that make accessing services even more difficult.

In Cambodia, I saw some key examples of how such efforts are being rolled out — for example, programs partnering law enforcement officials, the health sector, local authorities and community members to ensure key affected populations can access health services and put into practice effective HIV prevention measures, without fear and harassment. 

Size and scale are critical factors. Cambodia’s Methadone Maintenance Therapy Program in Phnom Penh is showing that methadone patients appear to be committing less crime after they enter the program and are more likely to protect themselves from HIV. 

But such programs are small and need to be hugely expanded to ensure universal access to HIV services, to turn the tide on HIV once and for all. 

Expansion cannot come without resources and in the Asia Pacific region a rapid increase of domestic funding for HIV is needed. Estimates suggest international funding accounts for more than 50 percent of AIDS spending in the majority of the region’s countries — including Cambodia where 90 percent is from outside funds. 

“Game-changing” findings released recently prove that HIV transmission can be prevented when people living with HIV are taking antiretroviral early, consistently and correctly. The implications of this alone underline the dramatic importance of ensuring treatment sustainability and the resources to make this a reality. 

A sustained “prevention revolution” is also a necessity.

Can Asia-Pacific do what it takes to move towards the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths outlined by the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)?

The evidence is clear — reversing and stopping HIV is possible in this region, but leadership is the deciding factor. 

At this “pivot point” in its AIDS response, and as leaders prepare to gather in New York, Asia-Pacific countries need to reaffirm their commitment and redouble efforts within the new global direction for AIDS.

Thirty years of AIDS is thirty years too many. Let us reshape the response make AIDS a thing of the past.


Prof. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi is a Nobel laureate (Physiology/Medicine 2008) and cochairperson of the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention. She recently visited Cambodia to discuss progress in the national response to HIV with political leaders, policy makers, programmers and researchers

កិច្ច​ប្រជុំ​ស្ដីពី​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ និង​សន្តិសុខ​ស្បៀង

កិច្ច​ប្រជុំ​ស្ដីពី​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ និង​សន្តិសុខ​ស្បៀង

ដោយ អ៊ុក សាវបូរី
2011-05-25
Radio Free Asia

មន្ត្រី​កម្មវិធី​ស្បៀង​អាហារ​សហភាព​អឺរ៉ុប ( FAO EUROPEAN UNION FOOD FACILITY PROJECT) និង​មន្ត្រី​រដ្ឋាភិបាល ផ្នែក​កសិកម្ម និង​បរិស្ថាន បាន​ជួប​ពិភាក្សា​គ្នា​អំពី​ផល​វិបាក​នានា ដែល​បណ្ដាល​មក​ពី​គ្រោះ​ធម្មជាតិ ដែល​បាន​កើត​ឡើង​កាល​ពី​ពេល​ថ្មីៗ នេះ។

នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ពុធ ទី ២៥ ខែ​ឧសភា ក្រុម​មន្ត្រី​រដ្ឋាភិបាល និង​មន្ត្រី​អង្គការ​សហ​ប្រជាជាតិ ជាង ៩០ នាក់ បាន​ជួប​ពិភាក្សា​គ្នា​អំពី​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ នៅ​ពេល​បច្ចុប្បន្ន និង​ស្ដី​អំពី​វិធានការ​នានា ដើម្បី​ការពារ​ផល​ដំណាំ និង​សត្វ​ចិញ្ចឹម នៅ​ពេល​មាន​គ្រោះ​ធម្មជាតិ​កើត​ឡើង និង​វិធី​បញ្ចៀស ព្រម​ទាំង​ការ​ប្រកាស​គ្រោះ​អាសន្ន មុន​ពេល​កើត​មាន​គ្រោះ​ធម្មជាតិ​ទាំង​នោះ ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​កសិករ​មាន​ការ​ប្រុង​ប្រយ័ត្ន និង​ចូលរួម​ការពារ។
អនុរដ្ឋលេខាធិការ ក្រសួង​កសិកម្ម រុក្ខា ប្រមាញ់ និង​នេសាទ លោក អ៊ិត ណូឌី មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ពុធ ទី ២៥ ខែ​ឧសភា​ថា ប្រទេស​ជប៉ុន និង​ប្រទេស​អាមេរិក ក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ ២០១១ រង​នូវ​គ្រោះ​ធម្មជាតិ​រលក​យក្ស​ស៊ូណាមិ ជំនន់ ខ្យល់​ព្យុះ ដោយសារ​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ។ បញ្ហា​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ​នេះ បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​ផល​ប៉ះពាល់​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ ដល់​បញ្ហា​សន្តិសុខ​ស្បៀង។

នៅ​កម្ពុជា ការ​កាប់​បំផ្លាញ​ព្រៃ​ឈើ​ជាង ៣ លាន​ហិកតារ ការ​ដុត​កាក​សំណល់​ដំណាំ និង​ដុត​ព្រៃ​ដំណាំ​កសិកម្ម និង​ការ​ដាំដុះ​ស្រូវ​ប្រដេញ​ទឹក​ជា​ប្រចាំ ក៏​រួម​ចំណែក​បង្កើន​ឧស្ម័ន​ផ្ទះ​កញ្ចក់​ភាយ​ទៅ​លើ​បរិយាកាស ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​អាកាស​ធាតុ​ប្រែប្រួល​ដែរ។ ក្រសួង​កសិកម្ម បាន​ចុះ​ពន្យល់​ប្រជា​កសិករ ឲ្យ​កែប្រែ​ទម្លាប់​ទាំង​នោះ និង​ដាំ​កូន​ឈើ ដើម្បី​ការពារ​ព្រៃ​ឲ្យ​បាន ៦០% វិញ។

សំឡេង ៖ «អ្វី​ដែល​យើង​ចង់​បាន គឺ​ធ្វើ​យ៉ាងណា​ឲ្យ​កសិករ​យើង ចេះ​បច្ចេកទេស​ដាំដុះ ម្ចាស់​ការ​ឆ្នៃ​ប្រឌិត។ ២ ឆ្នាំ​ហើយ យើង​ធ្វើ​សន្និបាត​កសិករ ដើម្បី​ស្វែងរក​នូវ​កសិករ​ឆ្នើមៗ លើ​ការងារ​ឆ្នៃ​ប្រឌិត​គ្រប់​វិស័យ»។
តំណាង​អង្គការ​ស្បៀង និង​កសិកម្ម​នៃ​សហប្រជាជាតិ​ប្រចាំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ហៅ​កាត់​ថា (FAO) លោក អែជេ មិខិនដេ (Ajay Markanday) ថ្លែង​ថា​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ បាន​ក្លាយ​ទៅ​ជា​ការ​គំរាម​កំហែង​ដ៏​ធំ​មួយ ចំពោះ​ការ​សម្រេច​ទៅ​លើ​លទ្ធផល​នៃ​ការ​ខិត​ខំ​ប្រឹងប្រែង​ឲ្យ​មាន​សន្តិសុខ​ស្បៀង។

រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា បាន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ហានិភ័យ​នេះ ទើប​អង្គការ FAO ផ្តល់​ឲ្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា​នូវ​សមត្ថភាព​បច្ចេកទេស​កសិកម្ម រុក្ខា ប្រមាញ់ និង​នេសាទ ដើម្បី​បន្សាំ​ទៅ​នឹង​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាសធាតុ និង​ដើម្បី​កាត់​បន្ថយ​ផល​ប៉ះពាល់ ដែល​បង្ក​ឡើង​ដោយ​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ​នេះ គឺ​ធ្វើ​យ៉ាង​ណា គ្រប​ដណ្ដប់​ឲ្យ​បាន​ទៅ​លើ​ជីវៈ​ចម្រុះ និង ការ​កសាង​សមត្ថភាព ដោយ​ផ្ទេរ​បច្ចេក​វិទ្យា ដើម្បី​ការ​ស្ដារ​ព្រៃ​ស្រោង​ឡើង​វិញ។
នាយក​វិទ្យាស្ថាន​ស្រាវជ្រាវ និង​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​កសិកម្ម​កម្ពុជា ហៅ​កាត់​ថា CARDI លោក អ៊ុក មករា មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា កម្ពុជា​ត្រៀម​ពូជ​ស្រូវ​ប្រើ​ទឹក​តិច សម្រាប់​ការពារ​គ្រោះ​រាំង​ស្ងួត និង​ស្រូវ​ដែល​ធន់​នឹង​ទឹក​ជំនន់។ ពូជ​ស្រូវ​ដាំ​សម្រាប់​រាំង​ស្ងួត គឺ ខារ ៣ (CAR3) និង​ខារ ៤ (CAR4)។

ឯ​ពូជ​ស្រូវ​ដែល​ធន់​នឹង​ទឹក​ជំនន់ លោក អ៊ុក មករា ថ្លែង​ថា មាន​ដូចជា​ពូជ​ស្រូវ ៖ «ពូជ​ផ្កា​រំដួល ពូជ​ខារ ៩ ពូជ​ផ្កា​រំដេង ពូជ​ផ្កា​រមៀត​ជាដើម​នេះ ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​មាន​បង្ហាញ​នេះ គឺ​វា​ធន់​នឹង​ទឹក​ជំនន់។ ប៉ុន្តែ ទន្ទឹម​នឹង​យើង​មិន​ទាន់​ពេញ​ចិត្ត​ទេ យើង​កំពុង​ធ្វើ​ការ​សិក្សា​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​បន្ត​ថែម​ទៀត ដើម្បី​ពង្រឹង​ពូជ​អស់​ហ្នឹង ឲ្យ​វា​កាន់​តែ​ធន់​ទ្រាំ​ទៅ​នឹង​ទឹក​ជំនន់ ឬ​រាំង​ស្ងួត​ថែម​ទៀត»។

មន្ត្រី​អង្គការ យូ.អិន.ឌី.ភី (UNDP) លោក ឃីម ឡាយ បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ថវិកា​ចំនួន ២០ លាន​ដុល្លារ​អាមេរិក​សម្រាប់​ផែនការ ៥ ឆ្នាំ គឺ​ឆ្នាំ ២០១១ ឆ្នាំ ២០១៥ អង្គការ​នេះ​កំពុង​ធ្វើ​ការងារ​គាំទ្រ ដើម្បី​កសាង​នូវ​ភាព​ធន់ និង​ការ​ប្រែប្រួល​អាកាស​ធាតុ ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ដោយ​ធ្វើ​ការ​អប់រំ​សហគមន៍​តាម​រយៈ​សិក្ខាសាលា និង​កិច្ច​ប្រជុំ​ជា​ដើម៕
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First Lady appeals to midwives to accept postings to deprived areas

Source: Ghana News Agency

April 21, 2011

URL:http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_health/r_27979/health/first-lady-appeals-to-midwives-to-accept-postings-to-deprived-areas

Accra, April 21, GNA - The First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills on Wednesday stressed that sexual reproductive health rights need to be made a central theme of the national development agenda. 
 

    

She consequently praised midwives and other maternal health personnel for their care of expectant women and appealed to them to accept postings to deprived communities.

   

The First Lady made the appeal in Accra, at the inauguration of Government Registered Midwives Group.

   

The inauguration was held on the theme: "Strengthening the Role of Midwives toward the Achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5."

   

Mrs Mills said there was an intricate connection between socio-economic development and the need to reduce the unacceptable high disease burden.

  

She advised against unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancies and noted that the death of a mother during pregnancy and childbirth brought along with it the loss of investments and family income and negative consequences on surviving children.

  

The First Lady called on health service providers to re-dedicate themselves to the achievement of the MDGs Four and Five.

Related publication:

Reproductive Health: The Missing Millennium Development Goal Poverty, Health, and Development in a Changing World 

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010 

The Millennium Development Goals and Beyond: International Assistance to the Asia-Pacific (Rethinking International Development) 

   

She observed that many professional groups after their inauguration detracted themselves from the very basic principles for which they were exposed to and urged the Group to commit themselves to the basic reasons of their profession.

GNA

More developing countries closer to achieving Millennium Development Goals: World Bank

April 15 (Xinhua
WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Two-thirds of developing countries are on track or close to meeting key targets for tackling extreme poverty and hunger, but more work remains to be done, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund said Friday.

Among developing countries that are falling short on the Millennium Development Goals, half are close to becoming on-track. With improved policies and faster growth, these countries can still achieve the targets in 2015 or soon after, according to the two Washington based international institutions' Global Monitoring Report 2011: Improving the Odds of Achieving the MDGs, which was released during the ongoing IMF and World Bank spring meetings.

"Reaching the MDGs is a significant achievement for developing countries. But there still is much to do in reducing poverty and improving health outcomes even in the successful countries," said Hans Timmer, director of development prospects at the World Bank. "Donors should build on this success and help countries make the next step through investments in effective service delivery."

The report showed that on the whole, the fight against poverty is progressing well. Based on current economic projections, the world remains on track to reduce by half the number of people living in extreme poverty.

The number of people living on less than 1.25 dollars a day is projected to be 883 million in 2015, compared with 1.4 billion in 2005 and 1.8 billion in 1990.

The report noted that much of this progress reflects rapid growth in China and India, while many African countries are lagging behind: 17 countries are far from halving extreme poverty, even as the aggregate goals will be reached.

Developing countries will also likely achieve the MDGs for gender parity in primary and secondary education and for access to safe drinking water, and will be very close on hunger and on primary education completion.

But progress is slow and targets may be missed on others. Among developing countries, 45 percent are far from meeting the target on access to sanitation; 39 percent and 38 percent are far from the maternal and child mortality targets, respectively.





"Good macroeconomic policies remain crucial to progress toward the MDGs," said Hugh Bredenkamp, deputy director of the IMF's Strategy, Policy, and Review Department. "The challenge in low income countries is to sustain and accelerate growth through better policies that will create jobs and greater opportunities for the private sector." 

Bill Gates: '2015 deadline for MDGs likely to be missed'

Source RaleIgh

Bill Gates: '2015 deadline for MDGs likely to be missed'
The UN's Millennium Development Goals are still obtainable but we'll probably miss the 2015 deadline, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has said.

Gates, who is also co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, told the European Parliament's development committee in Strasbourg, that the increase in aid agreed by the EU's 15 member states would make a huge difference and would achieve the MDGs, not by 2015, but in the next 10 years.

Gates also pointed out the large role government funding plays in development aid. "If you take international aid, private philanthropy, even with our foundation and others, it's less than 2% of what's given to poor countries," he said. "I think we can grow it (philanthropy), and I think it has a special role ... but in terms of the big things, really helping poor countries with health and agriculture, it's government foreign aid," he said.

The Guardian has also reported that he has called for more involvement from the private sector saying that we need more philanthropists - drug companies, banks, mobile phone and mineral companies to get involved.

URL:http://www.raleighinternational.org/news-centre/news/423-bill-gates-mdg-deadline-likely-to-be-missed

General Assembly President holds wide-ranging talks with UK officials

Source: UN News Centre
4 April 2011

General Assembly President Joseph Deiss
4 April 2011 – The President of the General Assembly held talks today with British officials in London on issues such as United Nations reform and the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as recent developments in several global hotspots.
During his one-day visit to the United Kingdom, Joseph Deiss met with Foreign Secretary William Hague. The issues they discussed included global governance and the situations in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire.

The Millennium Development Goals and Beyond: International Assistance to the Asia-Pacific (Rethinking International Development)



Talks with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development Stephen O’Brien focused on the MDGs – the set of eight globally agreed targets that seek to halve world poverty by 2015 by combating hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women.

The other subjects they discussed included several upcoming UN meetings concerning the least developed countries (LDCs); HIV/AIDS; and non-communicable diseases.

Mr. Deiss also held talks with the Minister of State for the UN in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Henry Bellingham, on the green economy and the preparations for the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development, among other elements.

In all of his discussions, the President thanked the UK for its strong commitment to the world body.

In Cambodia, Women Fear Death at Childbirth

Source: IPS
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

KRAING KAOK, Cambodia, Apr 2, 2011 (IPS) - Death haunts women in this Cambodian village at a moment of happiness - when they give birth.

"Today, nothing frightens Cambodian women more than having to give birth," says Mu Sochuea, former minister of women’s affairs. "It is costly, risky and not safe for the mothers and the babies."

Cambodia has acquired the notoriety of having among the highest maternal mortality rates in the region. Five women die every day during childbirth, according to U.N. reports.

Public health experts attribute the high death toll to lack of sufficient midwives, limited health care centres, the cost of health services, and a bias in remote rural areas towards untrained traditional birth attendants.

Hak Sam Ath still fights back tears as she recalls how Ouch Lay, her eldest daughter, died at a health clinic that serves this fishing and trading community on the banks of the Stung Slot River. "She had high blood pressure at the time she had checked into the health clinic for her delivery," said Sam Ath. "But this was overlooked and she died on the night she was to give birth."

The death of mothers like 28-year-old Lay, over one year ago in this village some 60 kilometres southeast of Phnom Penh, confirms why a common saying in the local Khmer language about the dangers of childbirth still resonates in this country of some 14 million people. "The expression ‘crossing the river’ is used in Khmer to describe the moment when a woman is to give birth," says Sochuea, now an opposition parliamentarian. "It illustrates the risk and the danger of crossing a river, a totally uncertain experience, which is how childbirth is viewed by many here."

The country’s maternal mortality rates reflect this fear. There are 461 maternal mortality cases per 100,000 living births here, which is "among the highest in the region and which has not changed much since 1997," noted a report released Mar. 28 on the country’s progress towards achieving the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - a set of global targets to reduce poverty, ensure basic education, achieve gender equity, and overcome major health challenges.

Such frequent maternal mortality has condemned Cambodia to fall well short of meeting the fifth of eight MDGs by 2015, which specifically calls on countries to improve maternal health by reducing maternal mortality ratios. Cambodia is also trailing to meet the first MDG: slashing the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger.

"It is highly unlikely that the original [Cambodian MDG] target of 140 deaths per 100,000 live births can be reached," revealed the ‘Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDG) Update 2010’, the report that was jointly produced by the government and U.N. agencies. "The target for 2015 has therefore recently been adjusted to a more realistic level of 250, which still represents a major challenge."

To meet such a challenge in a country still struggling to rise to its feet after the 1991 peace accords - which ended two decades of deadly conflict, genocide and occupation - the U.N. has courted a prominent ally: Bun Ray Hun Sen, the wife of Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Sen. The former nurse was recognised in late February as the national champion for U.N. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon’s Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health.

"We are tackling the maternal mortality issue at an extremely high level," Douglas Broderick, the U.N. resident coordinator here, told IPS. "We will be working with the first lady to raise the profile of the maternal mortality challenge in the country."

Limited numbers of midwives and skilled birth attendants in the hospitals and health centres has contributed to maternal mortality, with the rural rice- growing areas - home to nearly 85 percent of the population - being the worst hit. Nearly 40 percent of births in Cambodia are "unattended by skilled birth attendants, who could save women’s lives in case of emergencies," according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"Maternal mortality in rural areas is three times higher than in the urban areas," says Chea Thy, the national health advisor at the Cambodia office of Plan International, a British child rights agency. "Some health centres don’t have qualified midwives." 


Maternal and Child Health: Global Challenges, Programs, and Policies 
Maternal and Child Health: Global Challenges, Programs, and Policies 
Health Concerns Maternal Herbal - 90 Tablets

Midwives are paid approximately 10 dollars for assisting in a birth and the profession is struggling to attract larger and committed numbers to meet the health ministry’s national health plans. The government has set its sights on opening 1,600 health centres across the country, with each having up to two midwives. This would mark a sizeable increase from the less than 1,000 health centres that currently dot Cambodia. 




The high cost of health services in a country where over a third of the population live in poverty is also fingered as an explanation of why maternal care is so poor.

"The average payment for a four to six day stay at a hospital is 130,000 riels (about 27 dollars)," Henk Bekedam, director of health sector development at the WHO’s regional office, told IPS. "That includes mothers going for delivery, a patient who has broken a leg, or somebody hospitalised for diarrhoea."

(END)