The 52nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women was held in New York at the UN Headquarters from 26th February - 9th March 2008. The priority theme of this session was “the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child”. To coincide with this event, IPPF has co-sponsored a campaign on Gender Equality Architecture Reform - GEAR to call on UN member states to create a stronger UN force for women – one with greater status, an expanded field presence, and a high level of funding. As many governments have failed to implement commitments to women’s rights made in the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, and many other UN world conferences, the GEAR campaign sought a new UN entity dedicated to creating effective mechanisms to promote gender equality. See details at:
http://www.ippf.org/en/What-we-do/Advocacy/Commission+on+the+Status+of+Women.htm
Research Summary: In Bangladesh, Frontiers collaborated with the MoHFW and the National Institute of Population Research and Training to test a model for integrating reproductive health care for men, including treatment for reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as part of services offered by Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWCs). The project trained 102 providers who in turn led 436 group discussions with community leaders and male adolescents. Service statistics indicate that in the experimental area, the average number of male clients per clinic each month increased three fold—from 131 to 330 in the first six months of the intervention—and remained at 345 clients per clinic each month during the second six months of the intervention. In comparison, the average number of male clients per month in the control area declined. Of these consultations in the experimental area, 91 percent were for general health problems, and 9 percent were for STIs. Service protocols were modified to include STI treatment for men, but provision of services was inhibited because of problems with logistics, specifically difficulty in obtaining medicines. The vast majority of female clients (over 90 percent) did not mind receiving services with male clients at the HFWCs. Offering reproductive health services for men improved utilization of services by both men and women. See the full study at:
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/frontiers/FR_FinalReports/Bangladesh_Male%20Involvement.pdf
Resources: ‘Training Works! What you need to know about...managing, designing, delivering, and evaluating group-based training’ is a handbook which summarizes the tasks that should be completed at each stage of training to ensure an effective training in SRHR. Download the handbook from:
http://www.reproline.jhu.edu/english/6read/6training/Tngworks/index.htm
News: UNFPA has established a new thematic fund for maternal health to boost global efforts to reduce the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth. This fund will focus on supporting 75 needy countries. Details at:
http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1098.
Events: Abstracts are invited by Unnayan Onneshan for the Bangladesh Public health Conference to be held from 13 to14, June 2008. The conference will provide a platform for examining, comprehending, and learning on delivery of health care in the backdrop of ongoing reforms in the health system of Bangladesh. Central to the conference is aspiration for an accessible, affordable and equitable health system that services all the citizens, particularly the poor and the marginalized. For further information visit: www.unnayan.org.
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