A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC)April 2007; Vol. 2, No. 4 Anniversary Edition The year was 2001. It was the turn of a new century, and we thought it might be the perfect time for a new kind of peer-reviewed journal in obstetrics and gynecology. In today’s real world, everyone loves and is fascinated with – Internet. Education can be lot of fun. Internet-Classrooms were a brilliant concept we hit upon when we created WomensHealthSection.com – Women’s Health Education for a global community. It was an idea whose time had definitely come. What a great notion, build a portal for better understanding of reproductive health and different cultures. I am always interested in the process, how you figure out things, getting inside of a world of internet and computer that you are never a part of, and learning all about it. That was what this e-learning publication is all about. It has become something of an interactive experience for the readers and writers / editors. We are so proud that WomensHealthSection.com has become a landmark of US Educational and 157 countries’ educational system, hoping that we have innovated the genre and internet in general by injecting qualities. We hope this helps you become even more – a WHEC insider. So click on WomensHealthSection.com and take another step into our world, where social sciences and medical sciences blend together, and education is really fun. Producing good content takes time and devotion. WHEC is grateful to the writers / editors and physicians who contributed their priceless research to the publication. As much as I am enjoying the unfolding of my Second-Life; I can see challenges ahead. Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) came into being on 12th April 2001, and opened its doors to welcome patients. Our patients are our teachers and it is indeed a privilege to take care of them. In the spirit of growth in this digital age, this e-learning publication has been recently redesigned. Increased exposure of the publication’s content has brought heightened awareness of certain issues, especially gynecologic-oncology. I am glad this wealth of information is used by healthcare providers in 157 countries and its popularity is growing fast. We hope this will prove to be a useful addition for your readers. We have accomplished a lot in 6 years and many more to come! A Future within Reach Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What is the most important issue on your agenda? What is the role of WHEC in promoting maternal and child health worldwide? Universal Coverage for maternal and child health: Working towards universal coverage of maternal, newborn and child health interventions is our mission. In shaping the global political economy with the view to protecting health in particular that in the most deprived populations is a challenge for rich and poor countries alike. The 58th World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA58. 31) call on World Health Organization to strengthen coordination, collaboration and synergies of World Health Organization programs including those for health systems development. Universal access for mothers and children requires health systems to be able to respond to the needs and demands of the population, and to offer them protection against the financial hardship that results from ill-health. Children are the future of society and their mothers are guardians of that future. To make this possible; investments in health systems and in the human resources for health need to be stepped up. The priority areas are: advocacy in support of activities and decision-making at all levels; partnerships to increase funding and coordination in order to make the provision of services more effective and efficient; monitoring and evaluating the implementation of interventions in order to measure changes in practice and impact in terms of health gains. Long-term sustained improvements in maternal and child health require long-term commitments that go well beyond the political lifespan of many decision-makers. The proper technical strategies can be put in place effectively only if they are implemented, across programs and service providers, throughout pregnancy and childbirth through to childhood. It makes no sense to provide care for a child and ignore the mother, or to worry about a mother giving birth and fail to pay attention to the health of the baby. Policies that increase women’s decision-making power, particularly in regard to their own health, are also essential. The support of families and communities is the key to reducing maternal mortality. Input from a wide range of groups and individuals is therefore essential, including community and religious leaders, women’s groups, youth groups, other local associations, and healthcare professionals. There is no doubt that health workers are the cornerstone of functioning health systems. Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) addresses through its publications the most pressing public health concerns of populations around the world. To ensure the widest possible availability of authoritative information and guidance on public health matters, WHEC encourages its translation and adaptation. About NGO Association with the UN: Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonization – Autonomy eludes millions of people in the world. More than 2 million people continue to live in some 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories, even as the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2001-2010) reached half way point. For that reason, the issue of decolonization, along with mine-action assistance, peace-keeping operations and the work of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), topped the Fourth Committee’s agenda. They represent unfinished business of the United Nations in regard to the inalienable rights of people. Many of the obstacles towards self-government trace back to a lack of information flowing to and from the Territories, partly resulting from a lack of serious attention to decades of resolutions on decolonization. The year 2004 also marked the 20th anniversary of the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, known as the “Moon Agreement”, which called for freedom of scientific exploration and the use of the moon for the benefit of all people. Peacekeeping is central in the maintenance of international peace and security, but the question that must be asked was whether all were doing their best to make these efforts succeed. It is widely acknowledged that most of the developing countries, while willing to contribute, lack the capacity; the developed world, while having the capacity, lack the will. The time has come to bridge the gap through partnerships and to consider arrangements between the United Nations, troop-contributing countries and donor States. UN peacekeeping forces have a major role to play, and as their operations become more complex, further coordination and contribution are required on the part of all countries and NGOs. SECRETARY-GENERAL’s MESSAGE ON WORLD HEALTH DAY – 7 April 2007: The theme of this year’s World Health Day — international health security — reminds us that threats to public health know no borders. The spread of diseases, natural disasters, environmental change, bioterrorism or chemical spills can all have a major impact on people, their societies and economies around the world. Such threats present new challenges and require an urgent and collaborative response. Health, development and global security are inextricably linked. Investment in health is a cornerstone of economic growth and development, and a prerequisite for meeting many of the Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, the security of all countries is today increasingly dependent on the capacity of each to act effectively, and collectively, to minimize health threats. The revised International Health Regulations, which will come into force in June this year, represent a milestone in the world’s efforts to build and reinforce effective mechanisms for disease outbreak alert and response at the national and international levels. It is essential for all of us that every country implements fully these regulations. Life and health are our most precious possessions. We have the knowledge and unprecedented resources to build a healthier, safer world. Let us take the occasion of World Health Day to mobilize the political will. Let us ensure that each country — rich and poor — has a robust health system capable of serving all those in need. Addressing our collective vulnerability demands nothing less. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): World Health Report 2005: Make Every Mother and Child Count – it comes at a time when only a decade is left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which set internationally agreed development aspirations for the world’s population to be met by 2015. These goals have underlined the importance of improving health, and particularly the health of mothers and children, as an integral part of poverty reduction. The health of mothers and children is a priority that emerged long before the 1990s – it builds on a century of programs, activities and experience. What is new in the last decade, however, is the global focus of the MDGs and their insistence on tracking progress in every part of the world. Moreover, the nature of the priority status of maternal and child health (MCH) has changed over time. Whereas mothers and children were previously thought of as targets for well-intentioned programs, they now increasingly claim the right to access quality care as an entitlement guaranteed by the state. In doing so, they have transformed maternal and child health from a technical concern into a moral and political imperative. This report identifies exclusion as a key feature of inequity as well as a key constraint to progress. In many countries, universal access to the care all women and children are entitled to is still far from realization. Taking stock of the erratic progress to date, the report sets out the strategies required for the accelerated improvements that are known to be possible. It is necessary to refocus the technical strategies developed within maternal and child health programs, and also to put more emphasis on the importance of the often overlooked health problems of newborns. In this regard, the report advocates the repositioning of MCH as MNCH (maternal, newborn and child health).The proper technical strategies to improve MNCH can be put in place effectively only if they are implemented, across programs and service providers, throughout pregnancy and childbirth through to childhood. It makes no sense to provide care for a child and ignore the mother, or to worry about a mother giving birth and fail to pay attention to the health of the baby. To provide families universal access to such a continuum of care requires programs to work together, but is ultimately dependent on extending and strengthening health systems. At the same time, placing MNCH at the core of the drive for universal access provides a platform for building sustainable health systems where existing structures are weak or fragile. Even where the MDGs will not be fully achieved by 2015, moving towards universal access has the potential to transform the lives of millions for decades to come. World Bank Institute (WBI) – Global Development Learning Network: Initiated by the World Bank in June 2000, the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) is a global partnership of more than 100 learning centers (GDLN Affiliates that offer the use of advanced information and communication technologies to people working in development around the world. Through videoconferencing, high-speed internet resources, and interactive facilitation and learning techniques, GDLN Affiliates enable their clients to hold coordination, consultation, and training events in a timely and cost-effective manner. GDLN clients include academic institutions offering distance learning courses on development issues; development agencies seeking dialogue with key partners across the globe; government agencies discussing policy with counterparts in other countries; and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) coordinating with their partners worldwide. The Network’s “anchor unit”, GDLN Services, is housed in World Bank Institute (WBI), and consists of GDLN Secretariat and GDLN Activity Services team. GDLN coordination teams in the Bank’s regional departments work with Affiliates and partners in their respective regions. Furthermore, the Bank provides the Network’s technology backbone through its global communication group. The Bank is also an important client of the Network; WBI alone has offered more than 600 courses, seminars, and dialogues through GDLN. For more information, visit http://www.gdln.org Collaboration with UN University (UNU): “E-Learning for a sustainable future” – The vision of Global Virtual University (GVU) is to contribute to a sustainable future with a main focus on the developing countries making use of the latest e-learning pedagogy and technology. The mission of GVU is to increase people’s sensitivity to, and involvement in, finding solutions for environment and development issues. This shall be accomplished by mobilizing a network of universities in developed and developing countries to participate in developing online educational programs in global environmental and development studies and to provide support to these universities. The mission of UNU is to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples and Member States. The UNU-GVU Consortium in Education for Sustainable Development partners cooperate in the development and implementation of online study programs, short courses and modules and modules that are designed to serve the needs and enhance the capacities of academic institutions in developing countries in the field of education for sustainable development. Partners are expected to share expertise on pedagogical approaches, content and instructional design methodologies, course implementation, quality assurance, and course evaluation. Point of View: Digital Health Libraries – Moving Forward The Internet was a somewhat different place 10 years ago than it is today. Broadband-access was not as widely available, nor was the computer that could easily handle the amount of information now transferred every minute. While informational resources did exist, the Internet, or the piece still then commonly referred to as the Web, was mostly dominated by companies seeking another form of advertising and/or revenue and handfuls of individuals that stayed on the forefront of the ever-changing technology with an eye towards bigger and better things. Today the greater speed and interactivity of today’s internet has given rise to many more educational resources than previously existed, delivering academic journals and research covering an infinite amount of subjects on demand. The concept of WomensHealthSection.com – A Peer Reviewed Journal in Women’s Healthcare was an ambitious one – creating essentially an online textbook that would comprehensively cover the issues affecting the health of women worldwide, both medical and sociopolitical. Womenshealthsection.com is still unique in its vision, but it is also unique in its scope and for providing a very high level of information to the international community without either charging an expensive subscription fee or being affiliated with a university. We have created a comprehensive, detailed medical resource available to those who would immediately benefit from the articles it contains: medical professionals throughout the developed and the developing world concerned about women’s health. In the four plus years since we at eclecTechs began working with Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) in the design, execution and maintenance of WomensHealthSection.com, the site has grown from the then extremely impressive twenty-five or so detailed, informative articles to a staggering 250+, and is now available in six different languages, reflecting the international scope of the project. As the connectivity of the world evolves, this will remain an important resource, providing a readily available digital health library to the professionals who need it. By Barbara Meehan and Andee R. Browne eclecTechs 35 State Street, Northampton, MA 01060 (USA) Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues Noting with concern that some negative economic, social, cultural, political, financial and legal factors are hampering awareness, education, prevention, care, treatment and support efforts Noting the importance of establishing and strengthening human resources and national health and social infrastructures as imperative for the effective delivery of prevention, treatment, care and support services Recognizing that effective prevention, care and treatment strategies will require behavioral changes and increased availability of and non-discriminatory access to, vaccines, condoms, antibiotics, lubricants, sterile injecting equipment, drugs including anti-retroviral therapy, diagnostics and related technologies as well as increased research and development Recognizing also that the cost availability and affordability of drugs and related technology are significant factors to be reviewed and addressed in all aspects and that there is a need to reduce the cost of these drugs and technologies in close collaboration with the private sector and pharmaceutical companies Acknowledging that the lack of affordable pharmaceuticals and of feasible supply structures and health systems continue to hinder an effective response to HIV/AIDS in many countries, especially for the poorest people and recalling efforts to make drugs available at low prices for those in need Welcoming the efforts of countries to promote innovation and the development of domestic industries consistent with international law in order to increase access to medicines to protect health of their populations; and noting that the impact of international trade agreements on access to or local manufacturing of, essential drugs and on the development of new drugs needs to be further evaluated Welcoming the progress made in some countries to contain the epidemic, particularly through: strong political commitment and leadership at the highest levels, including community leadership; effective use of available resources and traditional medicines; successful prevention, care, support and treatment strategies; education and information initiatives; working in partnership with communities, civil society, people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable groups, and the active promotion and protection of human rights; and recognizing the importance of sharing and building on our collective and diverse experiences, through regional and international cooperation including North/South, South/South cooperation and triangular cooperation Acknowledging that resources devoted to combating the epidemic both at the national and international levels are not commensurate with the magnitude of the problem Recognizing the fundamental importance of strengthening national, regional and sub-regional capacities to address and effectively combat HIV/AIDS and that this will require increased and sustained human, financial and technical resources through strengthening national action and cooperation and increased regional, sub-regional and international cooperation Recognizing the external debt and debt-servicing problems have substantially constrained the capacity of many developing countries, as well as countries with economies in transition, to finance the fight against HIV/AIDS To be continued… Top Two-Articles Accessed in March 2007: Health Care Patents and The Interests of Patients WHEC Publication. Special thanks to Editorial Office, Bulletin of the World Health Organization for the contributions, support and friendship. Uterine Myomas: A Comprehensive Review Author: Dr. Edward E. Wallach, Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD (USA). News, Invitations, and Letters: The World Bank is a group of five institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (established in 1945); the International Finance Corporation (1956); the International Development Association (1960); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (1988); and the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (1966). The common goal of all institutions is to reduce poverty around the world by strengthening the economies of poor nations. Their aim is to improve people’s living standards by promoting economic growth and development. The Bank’s governing body is the Board of Governors, in which all member states are represented. General operations are delegated to as smaller group, the Board of Executive Directors, with the President of the Bank serving as Chairman of the Board. The World Bank Group has a staff of some 11,000 and an administrative annual budget of about $ 1.4 billion. Among its major publication is the annual World Development Report. World Bank – Health & AIDS: Money counts! However, more money and even rapid economic growth are not enough to achieve desirable Health Outcomes and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Systems structure and efficiency matter, as do supporting institutions, households and communities, policies and politics. While there is long-standing recognition that health outcomes are significantly determined at the household level and are greatly affected by factors outside the health sector such as water and sanitation and transport infrastructure, policies continue mainly to focus on supply production factors within the health sector. This new program approaches health outcomes from the demand side through a multisectoral perspective, looking into mechanisms such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), and Sector Wide Approaches Projects (SWAPs). The course underscores the different roles necessary at each different sector for a multisectoral approach, the need for coordination at the central level, and also alignment of donors with national processes – especially budgets – to ensure harmonization. This course will build capacity for developing multisectoral health outcome strategies, emphasizing that better effective interventions, actions and policies exist and that adaptation to the country situation is critical. For more information about the content please contact: Isabel Rocha Pimenta, Team Leader; World Bank Institute – Health and AIDS program; 1818 H St. NW, Mail Stop # J3-302; Washington DC; Tel. 1-202-458-1429; Fax: 1-202-676-0961. MESSAGE BY H.E. SHEIKHA HAYA RASHED AL KHALIFA, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Violence against women and girls is widespread in all societies. The United Nations Charter affirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women. The right to live without fear of violence is a basic human right for all people, including women and girls. The right to seek equal justice, without discrimination, is a basic human right. We have a moral and political duty to uphold these rights. The comprehensive study on violence against women issued during the 61st Session of the General Assembly includes strong recommendations that can end the impunity of violence committed against women. We have made huge advances in setting global standards to prevent, punish and eradicate these heinous crimes. Our efforts have gone far to reverse what used to be the traditional lack of response. But progress in ending violence and impunity remains insufficient and inconsistent in all parts of the world. States have binding obligations and can be held accountable. The failure to comply with international standards or to exercise due diligence is a violation of the human rights of women. Slavery in Twenty-First Century – The slave trade is back in full force. This modern slave trade, however, is not limited to just young Africans; women and children are also being enslaved in almost every continent. It is estimated that there are over 27 million enslaved persons worldwide, more than double the number of those who were deported in the 400-year history of the transatlantic slave trade to the Americas. What is remarkable is that this unprecedented trafficking largely goes unnoticed. The 27 million victims of the modern slave trade are more invisible to the world’s eye than were the 10 million to 12 million Africans who were forcibly sent to the Americas during the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. How do we account for this fact in this age of media and communications overload and transparency? Details: http://www.un.org:80/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue3/0305p28.html Special Thanks: WHEC thanks everyone who supported our efforts to improve women’s health and status at local, national and international levels. It is indeed our privilege to share our Letters of Support Page with everyone: http://www.womenshealthsection.com/content/main/h_ls.php3 We hope our efforts help to advance the causes of peace, health and development. Beyond the numbers… And I honor the man who is willing to sink; half his present repute for the freedom to think; And when he has thought to be his cause strong or weak; will risk the other half for the freedom to speak.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) September 2007; Vol. 2, No. 9 Global inter-connectedness and rapidly advancing technology have spawned a whole new set of challenges and opportunities, without closing the book on the old. It is not a bad thing to be strong in some ways and fragile and vulnerable in others. There are times you hold the future in your hands. And times you trust the future to others. At some point, you realize the legacy you leave goes far beyond the financial. For you, true wealth is about helping people. It is about achieving life. In every country (and in many sub-national structures such as states and provinces), health economics plays, or should play, an important role in critical policy and operational decisions. Poverty is not new, but there are creative new strategies for addressing it. Can we work together now? I think we can. WomensHealthSection.com is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaborations. We invite you to tap into this platform, and finally, the governance to get the best out of this platform. With each issue of WHEC Update, we like to think we are taking our readers on a journey. Clear boundaries lead to empowerment. Empowerment is not magic. It consists of a few simple steps and a lot of persistence. One other thing: In this space we have continued to update you on our e-learning project WomensHealthSection.com. The connection between education and health has never been clearer. We bring you every month — Briefings — of various programs / projects of the UN System, exclusive interviews, online polls and more fresh surprises. The UN role in ensuring peace and security and in shaping globalization to the advantage of all people in the world has been growing. Now more than ever before, dealing with inequality and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and wider development objectives are central to global economic stability and prosperity. Decisions help us start — discipline helps us finish. The journey is the reward. You might want to fasten your seat belts. Combating maternal mortality / morbidity is a collective effort. Obstetrical fistula is a problem that can be prevented, treated and controlled. For those who are grappling with the disability, effective treatment is essential. It requires political leadership and sufficient resources — particularly for more and better birthing centers, close to their homes and close to their birthing cultures. It requires the engagement of family members and community leaders as well as health care and social workers. It requires the media and policy makers to play their part. It means reaching out to marginalized groups and ensuring they receive the care they need with healthy and happy pregnancy and childbirth. That means providing reasons to hope. Obstetrical fistula brings anguish and torment to individuals and their loved ones. It eats away at the fabric of the human being, of the family, of society. It is a subject all of us must take personally. Let us ensure there is no place for obstetrical fistula in modern obstetrics. We welcome the thoughts and suggestions on eradication of obstetrical fistulae. WomensHealthSection.com enables individuals, groups, companies, and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate — for the purposes of innovation, education, research and to advance the causes of peace, health and development. We welcome everyone. Campaigning to End Fistula Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What are the good practices in terms of shaping a foreign policy that can work to improve global health? How can foreign policy address new infectious diseases in an age of globalization and bio-terrorism? Foreign Policy and Global Health Diplomacy: the rise of health as a foreign policy concern has become a hallmark of a globalized world. Critical to global health diplomacy is the relationship between health and foreign policy. The trade and health relationship unfolds on the cutting edge of global health diplomacy and offers lessons for the health and foreign policy nexus. We need broad memberships between rich and poor countries to improve health. And rich countries need to help developing countries to make a dedicated effort with their health budget allocation. Health also belongs in the Security Council and more prominently at the World Bank. It is important to have trade agreements that do not complicate access to drugs at affordable prices, patent regulations and other trade regulations, so that poor countries have access. The cutting edge of global health diplomacy raises certain cautions regarding health’s role in trade and foreign policies. Competition among countries’ national interests sometimes impedes policy coherence, which makes attainment of health difficult. To craft health policy today, governments, international institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must find mechanisms to manage health risks that spill into and out of every country. These endeavors create the new world of global health diplomacy. Health is a bridge builder and a key component of the development policy. The nexus of security, insecurity and health must take center stage in foreign policy thinking. To achieve global governance, we believe, a new global health forum is needed to address health. We believe capacity building is vital to health system development and is also needed to stabilize countries in order to provide security for people so they do not feel the need to migrate. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: Hamid al Bayati, the Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations, was elected chairman of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the sixty-first General Assembly on 8 June. His reply to some of questions on the agenda of Third Committee: Human rights issues have become central to the Third Committee. One of the newest additions to the UN human rights framework is the Human Rights Council. How do you think the delegates perceive the early work of the Human Rights Council? I think people were excited to have the Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva, for the first time. It gives the Third Committee a special importance this year. There was some debate among member states about whether the report of the Council should be referred to the Plenary or to the Third Committee. According to the rules of procedure, a subject should be referred to the committee that deals with that subject, and so we finally agreed to convey to the General Assembly – and the General Assembly approved this – that the report should be referred to both the Third Committee and the Plenary. The Plenary discusses the annual report, while the Third Committee deals with all of the Human Rights Council’s recommendations. Is it difficult for you when issues regarding your home country of Iraq are discussed at the Third Committee? There was only one occasion when I felt I couldn’t chair the Committee because of criticism that was being made of my country. While Iraq is open to criticism, I didn’t feel it was fair for me to listen to criticism without replying. So in that instance I instead let my delegation reply from Iraq’s seat. Other than that occasion, I didn’t have any difficulties listening to people talk about the situation in Iraq. In regards to human rights, in fact, Iraq – whose record is not perfect in this area – is making strides. We now have a ministry for human rights in Iraq for the first time in modern history. What was the hardest thing about chairing this Committee? What was the most rewarding? The most rewarding feeling is to be serving Member States, and to be doing even a little bit to protect human rights. When you feel that you are providing assistance to the most vulnerable people – especially women and children – this is very rewarding. The most difficult thing is to come to a compromise. Member States are always ready to vote, but for a Chair a vote means you have failed to convince delegates to meet in the middle. I always tried to be neutral, I always tried to be transparent in my actions, and I always tried to put myself in the shoes of both sides. The best ways is to meet in the middle, but it is a difficult thing to always suggest the right kind of compromise. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Obstetric fistula: surviving with dignity — An obstetric fistula is a devastating yet often neglected injury that occurs as a result of prolonged or obstructed labor (usually resulting in a stillbirth as well). Trauma to the vaginal wall results in an opening between the vagina and the bladder, the vagina and the rectum, or both; this leaves the woman leaking urine and/or feces continuously from the vagina. Without surgical repair, the physical consequences of fistula are severe, and include vaginal incontinence, a fetid odor, frequent pelvic and/or urinary infections, pain, infertility and often early mortality. The social consequences of fistula are immense: women with fistula are ostracized and frequently abandoned by their husbands, families and communities; they often become destitute and must struggle to survive. To make matters worse, many women are so embarrassed by this condition that they suffer in silence, rather than seek medical help, even if such help were available. This devastating condition affects more than two million women worldwide. There are an estimated 50 000 to 100 000 additional cases each year, a figure some believe to be an underestimate. Most are young women or adolescents. Early marriage, early or repeated childbearing, along with poverty and lack of access to quality health care in pregnancy and at birth, are the main determinants. Fistulae occur in areas where access to care at childbirth is limited, or of poor quality, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of southern Asia. In the areas where fistulae are most often seen, few hospitals offer the necessary corrective surgery, which is not profitable and for which surgeons and nurses are often poorly trained. In 2003, the United Nations Population Fund along with WHO and other partners launched a Global Campaign for the Elimination of Fistula. Good-quality first-level and back-up care at childbirth prevents fistula. Once the condition has occurred it is treatable. The plight of women living with fistula is a powerful reminder that programmatic concerns should go beyond simply preventing maternal deaths. Decision-makers and professionals should be aware that the problem is not infrequent, that the girls and women who suffer from it need support to get access to treatment, that enough trained doctors and nurses need to be available to provide surgical repair, and that further support is necessary for women who return home after treatment. Collective action can eliminate fistula and ensure that girls and women who suffer this devastating condition are treated so that they can live in dignity. Details: http://www.who.int/whr/2005/chap4-en.pdf Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 9, September 2007, 649-732 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): The United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations University Office at the United Nations in New York (UNU-ONY), are jointly organizing a side event within the framework of the Eighth Meeting of the United Nations Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on the Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS). Marine Genetic Resources: In 1999, the General Assembly decided to establish the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (the Consultative Process) in order to facilitate the annual review by the General Assembly, in an effective and constructive manner, of developments in ocean affairs and the law of the sea by considering the report of the Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea and by suggesting particular issues to be considered by it, with an emphasis on identifying areas where coordination and cooperation at the intergovernmental and inter-agency levels should be enhanced (resolution 54/33). The Eighth meeting of the Consultative Process will organize its discussions around the topic of “Marine genetic resources,” as recommended by the General Assembly in resolution 61/222. Oceans are experiencing rapid and, in many cases, dramatic changes as a result of human activity. Because the world’s oceans remain a source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people, their sustainable and equitable use must continue to be promoted. The growing commercial interest in deep seabed research and the use of the unique genetic resources that this research has discovered raises key policy, ethical and moral questions. Therefore, the meeting will focus on five important issues related to marine genetic resources, with the aim to bring some additional information and experts’ insights to the Eighth Meeting of the Consultative Process. Scientific aspects of marine genetic resources: status of scientific research and changes in scientists’ perspectives; Commercial uses of marine genetic resources; Potential values of marine genetic resources; Development of a database on marine bio-prospecting; Next steps needed to be taken. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis — Global Action”: series continues Support and encourage the development of national and international research infrastructure, laboratory capacity, improved surveillance systems, data collection, processing and dissemination, and training of basic and clinical researchers, social scientists, health-care providers and technicians, with a focus on the countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly developing countries and those countries experiencing or at risk of rapid expansion of the epidemic; Develop and evaluate suitable approaches for monitoring treatment efficacy, toxicity, side effects, drug interactions, and drug resistance, develop methodologies to monitor the impact of treatment on HIV transmission and risk behaviors; Strengthen international and regional cooperation in particular North/South, South/South and triangular cooperation, related to transfer of relevant technologies, suitable to the environment in prevention and care of HIV/AIDS, the exchange of experiences and best practices, researchers and research findings and strengthen the role of UNAIDS in this process. In this context, encourage that the end results of these cooperative research findings and technologies be owned by all parties to the research, reflecting their relevant contribution and dependent upon their providing legal protection to such findings; and affirm that all such research should be free from bias; By 2003, ensure that all research protocols for the investigation of HIV-related treatment including anti-retroviral therapies and vaccines based on international guidelines and best practices are evaluated by independent committees of ethics, in which persons living with HIV/AIDS and caregivers for anti-retroviral therapy participate; HIV/AIDS in conflict and disaster affected regions Conflicts and disasters contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS By 2003, develop and begin to implement national strategies that incorporate HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, care and treatment elements into programs or actions that respond to emergency situations, recognizing that populations destabilized by armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters, including refugees, internally displaced persons and in particular, women and children, are at increased risk of exposure to HIV infection; and, where appropriate, factor HIV/AIDS components into international assistance programs; Call on all United Nations agencies, regional and international organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations involved with the provision and delivery of international assistance to countries and regions affected by conflicts, humanitarian crises or natural disasters, to incorporate as a matter of urgency HIV/AIDS prevention, care and awareness elements into their plans and programs and provide HIV/AIDS awareness and training to their personnel; By 2003, have in place national strategies to address the spread of HIV among national uniformed services, where this is required, including armed forces and civil defense force and consider ways of using personnel from these services who are educated and trained in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention to assist with HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention activities including participation in emergency, humanitarian, disaster relief and rehabilitation assistance; By 2003, ensure the inclusion of HIV/AIDS awareness and training, including a gender component, into guidelines designed for use by defense personnel and other personnel involved in international peacekeeping operations while also continuing with ongoing education and prevention efforts, including pre-deployment orientation, for these personnel; Resources The HIV/AIDS challenge cannot be met without new, additional and sustained resources Ensure that the resources provided for the global response to address HIV/AIDS are substantial, sustained and geared towards achieving results; By 2005, through a series of incremental steps, reach an overall target of annual expenditure on the epidemic of between US$ 7 billion and US$ 10 billion in low and middle-income countries and those countries experiencing or at risk of experiencing rapid expansion for prevention, care, treatment, support and mitigation of the impact of HIV/AIDS, and take measures to ensure that needed resources are made available, particularly from donor countries and also from national budgets, bearing in mind that resources of the most affected countries are seriously limited; To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in August 2007: The Obstetrical Fistulae in the Developing World; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to WHO, ICM and FIGO for its program/project — Making Pregnancy Safer, and the United Nations Population Fund for their efforts and contributions. It is our privilege to work with this humanitarian project/program. Pelvic Organ Prolapse: An Overview; Authors: Dr.Alka Shaunik and Dr. Lily A. Arya, Division of Uro-gynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA). News, Invitations and Letters: THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE: This is also the first year that the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance — another milestone in the struggle to eliminate torture — has been open for signature. I hope that all UN Member States will sign and ratify this convention as early as possible. Joining this new instrument will prove an unequivocal expression of the international community’s determination to address not only torture but also its most egregious enabling conditions. As we join hands against torture, and adhere unequivocally to the notion that torture is unacceptable, we must never forget its victims. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture supports organizations assisting victims of torture and their families. Let me use this occasion to thank all donors to the Fund, and to encourage even more giving to this worthy cause. On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture let us speak with one voice against the perpetrators of torture, and for all who suffer at their hands. And let us build a better, more humane world for all people everywhere. Informal Interactive Hearing with Civil Society, including Non-Governmental Organizations and the Private Sector of the High-level Dialogue of the General Assembly on Inter-religious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace: The General Assembly, in its resolution 61/221 of 20 December 2006, (OP. 14) decided “to convene in 2007 a high-level dialogue on inter-religious and intercultural cooperation for the promotion of tolerance, understanding and universal respect on matters of freedom of religion or belief and cultural diversity, in coordination with other similar initiatives in this area”. In its resolution 61/269 of 25 May 2007, the General Assembly further decided that the High-level Dialogue would be held on Thursday and Friday, 4 and 5 October 2007 at the ministerial or highest possible level, and that it shall consist of three plenary meetings: one in the morning of Thursday, 4 October and two on Friday, 5 October. The General Assembly also decided to hold in the afternoon of 4 October 2007 an informal interactive hearing with representatives of civil society, including representatives of non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to be chaired by the President of the General Assembly. The Office of the President of the General Assembly has formed a ‘Task Force’ to help ensure the effective participation of civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, in the interactive hearing. The function of the Task Force is to assist the President of the General Assembly in the organization of the hearing by recommending formats and by drawing up a list of participants. A complete list of Task Force Members, Advisers and Ex-Officio can be accessed on the website of the President of the General Assembly: http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/ The United Nations and Darfur: More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been killed and at least 2 million displaced from their homes in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003 between Government of Sudan forces, allied Janjaweed militia and other armed rebel groups. Atrocities such as the murder of civilians and the rape of women and girls have been widespread and continue, underscoring the necessity for urgent action. The UN raised the alarm on the crisis in Darfur in 2003 and finding a lasting resolution has been a top priority for the Security Council and two consecutive Secretaries-General. In addition to pursuing a political solution, the UN and its partners are currently operating the largest aid effort in the world in Darfur and in refugee camps in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). In parallel, UN human rights experts have reported on abuses, and monitored efforts by local courts to bring perpetrators to justice. Under the auspices of the African Union (AU) and with support of the UN and other partners, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) was signed on 5 May 2006. Intensive diplomatic and political efforts to bring the non-signatories into the peace process continue. The UN has also provided logistical and technical assistance to AU monitors dispatched to Darfur since 2004, and has developed, adapted and is now implementing plans for a multidimensional peacekeeping operation. In accordance with the decision of the 16 November 2006 High-Level consultations in Addis Ababa — attended by the former Secretary-General, five Permanent Members of the Security Council, representatives of the Government of Sudan, the AU and other States and organizations with political influence in the region, and some African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) troop contributing countries — the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) designed a three-phased approach to augment AMIS and create an unprecedented hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force. Intensive private and public diplomacy by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and several actors in the international community resulted in Sudan’s acceptance of this force in June 2007. Humanitarian efforts — UN humanitarian agencies are leading the largest current relief effort in the world to assist the approximately 4.2 million people in need of aid due to the Darfur crisis. Of these, 2.1 million are internally displaced in Sudan, while approximately 236,000 are refugees in eastern Chad. More than US $650 million in aid to Darfur is planned for 2007. More than 12,000 humanitarian workers are deployed in the region to bring assistance to those affected by the crisis. They include staff from 13 UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent societies and more than 80 non-governmental organizations (NGO). Over the last four years, this massive humanitarian effort has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Mortality rates have been brought below emergency levels; global malnutrition has been halved from the height of the crisis in mid-2004; and nearly three-quarters of all Darfurians now have access to safe drinking water. However, civilians continue to be forcibly displaced as a result of attacks from all sides, with more than 140,000 displaced in Darfur in the first five months of 2007 alone. With populations growing, many IDP camps can no longer absorb new arrivals, and tensions are rising. The humanitarian operation and its staff have been increasingly targeted by violence. As of June 2007, 69 aid workers had been temporarily abducted, 37 convoys had been attacked or looted, and 61 humanitarian vehicles had been hijacked. Some leading NGOs have withdrawn citing violence against aid workers. The UN estimates that more than half a million people across Darfur are currently cut off from humanitarian assistance. This is an improvement in access since February 2007, when 900,000 were inaccessible, and is attributed to increased efforts by humanitarian workers to reach conflict-affected populations through innovative and often expensive means — not to any improvement in the security. The UN has continued to press the authorities in Khartoum for improved humanitarian access and security for aid workers, resulting in the signing in April 2007 of a joint communiqué between the Government of Sudan and the UN to effectively ensure and facilitate humanitarian activities in Darfur. Donors have funded 62% of the Darfur aid operation (as of 15 June 2007, US $396 million had been pledged or committed out of the US $652 million required), mostly for food aid. Other sectors are seriously under funded and require commitments. In the face of continuing insecurity, the UN and its humanitarian partners are effectively holding the line for the survival and protection of millions. International Criminal Court – Following a recommendation by the Commission of Inquiry, in March 2005, the Security Council, in resolution 1593, referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ordered Sudan to cooperate with the Court’s investigations. On 2 May 2007, the ICC issued arrest warrants for crimes against humanity and war crimes against former Minister of State for the Interior of the Government of Sudan and current Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Ahmad Harun, and Janajweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman. Security Council resolutions – Relevant Security Council resolutions include SCR 1590 (2005) establishing UNMIS; SCR 1556 (2004) and 1591 (2005) imposing sanctions over Darfur; SCR 1706 (2006) giving UNMIS a mandate in Darfur and authorizing its troop strength; and SCR 1755 (2007) extending the mandate of UNMIS until October 2007. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Mr. Juan-Carlos Brandt, Chief, NGO Section, Department of Public Information, United Nations for his friendship and support to our efforts to improve maternal and child health worldwide. Thanks for the friendship. It is indeed our privilege to work with you and the entire department. Beyond the numbers… Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air In his own ground.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) November 2007; Vol. 2, No. 11 Hope WomensHealthSection.com touches us in some profound way. It takes you on – for a lifetime. Hungry for an intelligent place in the Internet to go to find good, reliable and thought-provoking information on women’s health, health care and health economics – food for soul? We at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) hope to continue to work in unity with purpose and meet the high expectations of millions of people around the world, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. Only then we have done our duty. Only then we will be able to pass on world safely and securely to the next generation. There are many hurdles to overcome to create a successful, let alone top-notch, publication. You must find writers / editors who share your vision and have the talent to implement, create the syllabus that will stimulate and intrigue the readers, and maintain the office staff capable of executing that perspective. Never mind less obvious business concern like controlling costs, paying taxes and satisfying never-ending rules & regulations. For WomensHealthSection.com we already have a clear vision as well as a clear road map to achieve this. There is no real compartmentalization, because our readers use the whole website – its dimensions are impressive, almost magical. We respect the rights of patients, colleagues and the communities. We plan development together. Womenshealthsection.com is one of the five projects in my career that I have cared most about. Since the launch of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process (International Monetary Fund 1999 and World Bank 2000), many countries have taken on the challenge of centering their development agenda around poverty reduction and have engaged in consultative and analytical work to support policy development. To date, almost 50 countries have developed and published Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (IPRSPs), and more than 30 countries have produced full PRSPs. One of the main features of the PRSP process is an emphasis on country leadership and ownership. This means that there is no set template or framework for countries to follow. Moreover, there is no guarantee that health would even be addressed in each PRSP as the decision on which sectors to include is entirely up to the authors (typically the government). The absence of imposed structure or format by the International Financial Institutions increases the likelihood of country ownership and that the strategies identified address the real needs of each country and may lead to more individualized and creative approaches. The key question is: “What is the basic relationship between poverty and Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) and how do they influence each other”? Since there are no set guidelines or rules to write PRSPs there is clearly an advantage in learning from past attempts at writing them. Need for training on what some of the options are for writing the health component of the “Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers” is vital. A Special Partnership Rita Luthra, MD Extreme poverty and human rights: The rights of the poor – Result of the Civil Society On-line Consultation on the OHCHR Draft Guiding Principles In 2008 UN Member States will have to make a decision on how to proceed with the Draft Guiding Principles. As it stands now, the text is already considered as “soft law” (non-legally binding) in international law, and it can be quoted and referred to. In order to seek civil society’s comments on the Principles, the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS), in collaboration with NGO partners, conducted an online consultation from 20 August through 20 September 2007. This report is a compilation of the comments received from over 60 respondents from around the world, all responding to a set of four questions. In the spirit of the Draft Guiding Principles, this report aims to give a voice directly to the respondents themselves, rather than speaking on their behalf: direct quotes from respondent submissions that were representative of a large number of responses were selected and are presented in this report. A list of all respondents is provided in the annex. Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) had participated in the Consultation; WomensHealthSection.com is listed in Annex I. Details: http://www.un-ngls.org/docs/ohchr/consultation.pdf (pdf) Your Questions, Our Reply: How does climate change affect public health? How the emerging information on health threats should be used to promote health, equality and sustainable development? Protecting Climate, Improving Health: Human-induced climate change is an emerging threat that rightly commands widespread policy and public attention. Along with other rapid changes associated with global population and economic growth, climate change strains existing weak points in health protection systems and call for reconsideration of public health priorities. The health impacts of climate change are potentially huge. They range from increased risks of extreme weather, such as fatal heat waves, floods and storms, to less dramatic but potentially more serious effects on infectious disease dynamics, shifts to long-term drought conditions in may regions, melting of glaciers that supply fresh water to large population centers, and sea level increase leading to salination of sources of agriculture and drinking water. Many of the most important global killers are highly sensitive to climatic conditions – malaria, diarrhea and protein-energy malnutrition together cause more than 3 million deaths each year. These risks are inequitable, in that the greenhouse gases that cause climate change originate mainly from developed countries, but the health risks are concentrated in the poorest nations, which have contributed least to the problem. Many of the projected impacts on health are avoidable, through a combination of public health interventions in the short term, support for adaptation measures in health-related sectors such as agriculture and water management, and a long-term strategy to reduce human impacts on climate. A global problem requires a strategy of international dimensions that can translate into regional and local actions. The development of comprehensive strategy will take time, but some essential principles are already clear. A true preventive strategy needs to ensure the maintenance and development of healthy environments from local to global levels. Climate change therefore demands that we intensify our efforts in preventive public health and place that crucial task at the core of sustainable development. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: The Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, Youcef Yousfi, was elected Chairman of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly on 7 July 2006. How are the 2005 World Summit and ongoing efforts to reform the UN reflected in the Fifth Committee? In many ways: Management reform, procurement reform and the financial implications of reform in all of the committees-the creation of new bodies, for example. Let’s say that all of the reforms are reflected in the Fifth Committee. I think we have made a lot of progress in 2006 with the establishment of the Human Rights Council, the Peace-building Commission and the Ethics Bureau established by the Secretariat. We are progressing with the management of human resources. This issue is quite difficult but we are working on it. We are also examining the reform of the Secretariat itself: its management, oversight, and governance. This is a lot of work for the Fifth Committee. Speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, South Africa’s delegate said the commitment in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document to address the special needs of Africa, the only continent not on track to meet any of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, was not reflected in budget estimates. What is the future of funding for programs such as the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)? I share the view of the delegates who have said that the funding for programs in Africa is not sufficient. Africa is the continent that has the most serious development problems in all sectors: education, health, development, etc. At the same time, it is one of the richest continents in natural resources. This continent has many conflicts because of poverty, underdevelopment and its difficult past. I think the international community should devote more attention and resources to Africa. Concerning NEPAD, my country [Algeria] was one of the leaders in the establishment of this programme, and we are also one of the countries following up on its implementation. I think that the world would be in better shape if Africa were given the opportunity to develop. I think it is within the possibilities of the United Nations to do more than it is doing now for Africa. One of the possibilities is to reinforce the Economic Commission for Africa, but this is just one of many possibilities. The world should really give more to Africa and help it get on the track of development. The world would win because stability in Africa would contribute to global stability. How has the newly created Ethics Office affected business at the UN and in the Fifth Committee? We had a satisfactory first report and we hope that this Office will play its role, be very efficient and also credible. It is difficult for us to judge at this time. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Ten-Year Strategy; The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health: Each year more than half a million women die in pregnancy or childbirth, and more than 10 million children die before their fifth birthday – nearly 40% of these in the first month of life. But evidence shows that we could save at least seven million of these lives each year with proven, cost-effective interventions that are readily available to the world’s wealthy – and out of reach for the vast majority of the world’s poor. At the same time, there is growing international consensus that investments in saving the lives of women and children have the potential to bring substantial, long-term development returns, not only to the lives of those who are vulnerable, but also to global and national economies. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) is a new global health partnership launched in September 2005 to accelerate action towards achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. The Partnership is an advocate, a catalyst for innovation, and an ambassador for the health of women, newborn, and children. The Partnership joins the maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) communities into an alliance of currently more than 125 members representing governments, donors, United Nation agencies and other multilateral agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private institutions, professional associations, and academic and research institutions – all committed to ensuring that women, infants and children not only remain healthy, but thrive. Details: http://www.who.int/pmnch/events/2007/10yearsstrategy.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 11, November 2007, 821- 900 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Abstract of the Africa Series: Despite the efforts made in recent years in support of Africa’s development, the situation on most of the continent remains challenging. Today the consensus is indeed that it will be difficult to achieve in Africa, in time and in full, the objectives of the MDGs. The reasons for this are multifold, spanning from weak African state institutions, reluctance of the international community to keep its promises, and knowledge gaps in critical areas of development. In this regard, the underdeveloped state of statistical data in a number of strategic areas of African development is a case in point. It is against this background that the United Nations University and Cornell University have decided to join forces to map out, via a series of conferences (The UNU-Cornell African Series), the state of scientific and policy knowledge in three critical areas: Food and Nutrition system (November 2007), From Governance and Development Crises to Security Crises (Tentatively April 2008), HIV/AIDS and Public Health (Tentatively June 2008). A final event, to take place in July 2008, will outline the lessons learned from the preceding events and make policy recommendations. The Africa Series will bring together leading academic international experts on Africa, with many being from Africa, UN and NGOs practitioners. It is expected that four volumes will be published based on these events. An online forum will be created to engage more actors to participate in the discussion on the key areas of the Series. It is also envisioned to maximize outreach of the Series by web-casting the events and utilize video conferencing to interact with universities and experts in Africa. Details: UNU-Cornell Africa Series. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues By 2002, launch a worldwide fund-raising campaign aimed at the general public as well as the private sector, conducted by UNAIDS with the support and collaboration of interested partners at all levels, to contribute to the global HIV/ AIDS and health fund; Direct increased funding to national, regional and subregional commissions and organizations to enable them to assist Governments at the national, subregional and regional level in their efforts to respond to the crisis; Provide the UNAIDS co-sponsoring agencies and the UNAIDS secretariat with the resources needed to work with countries in support of the goals of this Declaration; Follow-up Maintaining the momentum and monitoring progress are essential At the national level Conduct national periodic reviews involving the participation of civil society, particularly people living with HIV/AIDS, vulnerable groups and caregivers, of progress achieved in realizing these commitments and identify problems and obstacles to achieving progress and ensure wide dissemination of the results of these reviews; Develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assist with follow-up in measuring and assessing progress, develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation instruments, with adequate epidemiological data; By 2003, establish or strengthen effective monitoring systems, where appropriate, for the promotion and protection of human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS; At the regional level Include HIV/AIDS and related public health concerns as appropriate on the agenda of regional meetings at the ministerial and Head of State and Government level; Support data collection and processing to facilitate periodic reviews by regional commissions and/or regional organizations of progress in implementing regional strategies and addressing regional priorities and ensure wide dissemination of the results of these reviews; Encourage the exchange between countries of information and experiences in implementing the measures and commitments contained in this Declaration, and in particular facilitate intensified South-South and triangular cooperation; To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in October 2007: Breast Cancer: Early Detection; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to the World Health Organization for the contributions. Psychosocial Impact of Breast Cancer; WHEC Publications. Dedicated to our patients, it is indeed our privilege to help women worldwide. Special thanks to everyone who supported our efforts. News, Invitations and Letters: Global campaign tackling greatest environmental challenge: climate change United Nations Environment Program (UNEP): Environment for development Community-based action on climate change involving an estimated 35 million people across the planet in 2007 will culminate in the Clean Up the World Weekend on 14-16 September. More than 650 non-government organizations, community groups, local councils and other agencies in 115 countries are currently working on projects in 2007 to improve the health of the environment. The focus of many community activities around the world has been on limiting the impacts of climate change though activities such as waste reduction and recycling, water and energy conservation, and re-vegetation. On Clean Up the World Weekend, organizations will engage volunteers to take part in activities designed to clean up, fix up and conserve their local environment. The Australian founder and chairman of Clean Up the World, Ian Kiernan AO* said communities in many countries are demonstrating that simple actions can make a real and lasting difference. “Millions of people simply conserving water, and recycling waste adds up to a huge environmental benefit for the planet. Our aim is to encourage individuals to take responsibility for the environment through a range of affordable actions. What is inspiring is the variety of activities that participating organizations have initiated in their countries in response to this challenge.” Among those undertaking activities as part of the weekend, Our Earth Foundation in Poland and the Tonga Solid Waste Management Project in the Pacific are conducting nationwide clean ups and Programa TV Na Praia in Brazil is coordinating a day of activities to launch their anti-litter campaign. The Clean Up the World campaign is in its 15th year and has the support of the United Nation’s Environment Program (UNEP). The 2007 theme ‘Our Climate, Our Actions, Our Future’ channels community action towards addressing the causes of climate change. ABOUT CLEAN UP THE WORLD The Clean Up campaign started in 1989 when an Australian solo-yachtsman and builder Ian Kiernan, appalled by the amount of rubbish he came across while sailing, organized a clean up of the Sydney Harbor, during which some 40,000 volunteers removed rusted car bodies, plastics, glass bottles and cigarette butts from the water. The campaign went global in 1993, with Sydney becoming Clean Up the World’s headquarters. Today it brings together hundreds of members from around the world ranging from local community groups to national campaigns that carry out environmental projects throughout the year. ABOUT UNEP The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is the “Voice of the Environment” in the United Nations system. It is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and is represented across the globe by regional and liaison offices. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership und encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP, established in 1972, has been headed by Achim Steiner since 2006. In encouraging people to care for the environment and advocating sustainable development, UNEP cooperates with a variety of partners, including other UN institutions, international organizations, governments, the private sector and civil society. For more information, visit www.unep.org Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Tony Hill, Coordinator (Retired), Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) at Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland for his support to our Organization and our project/program. You will always be a part of our team. Thanks for the friendship. Beyond the numbers… If we nurture the health, skills and hopes of young people, their potential to improve our world is unbounded. If they are healthy, they can take the best advantage of every opportunity to learn. If they are educated, they can live fulfilled lives and contribute to building the future for everyone.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) December 2007; Vol. 2, No. 12 Warmest thoughts and Best Wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season from all of us at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) As health workers and educators we have a two-fold responsibility: firstly, to provide equitable access to safe and effective health care and services; and secondly, to provide the necessary knowledge, information and infrastructure that will enable people to take care of themselves and promote their own health and that of their families. To be effective and sustainable, our health policies and interventions, including our education programs, must be based not only on hard scientific and epidemiological evidence but also on people’s personal experience of life and health and their own priorities and constraints. To reduce sickness and death among mothers and children, to promote family planning, to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, to foster the rational use of health services or the social integration of the disabled, to improve nutrition or to control violence, we must be able to influence behaviors, cultural attitudes and lifestyles. In WomensHealthSection.com we have stressed the importance of achieving social and cultural relevance in health work. To ensure community participation, we must build health development on what people know and what they want and are therefore prepared to support in the long run. While maintaining our concern to make safe and effective good quality available to all, we must show our willingness both to learn from others and to share our knowledge and experience with them. Experience is the ultimate teacher. As cultural representations of the human body, time, life, death and disease vary, so do people’s approaches to action, prevention and treatment. Procreation, childbirth, weaning, sexuality, death, disease and suffering are not just private experiences but all have an intrinsic social dimension. The health conditions in which they take place are often determined as much by cultural practices as by biological and environmental factors. The notion of well-being is often understood today in terms of people’s perceptions of their quality of life as individuals and members of society. We must realize, however, that such perceptions are largely shaped by the values and symbolic representations which prevail in any group or culture. Much empirical knowledge, for example on medicinal plants, has been accumulated by various cultures and traditions which we must recognize and preserve as part of the common cultural and scientific heritage of mankind. We take our obligation to society seriously. Culture and Health Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What role the religion should play in public life? What is the impact of religions on the public health policies? Religion & Health: Understanding World Religions is both an art and science. Religion is one of the most powerful and pervasive forces in our world. The religious traditions represent vast and complex developments over many centuries and in countless cultural contexts. Misinformation about religious beliefs and practices, especially those of “other” people, abounds and has a way of perpetuating itself. I believe, perhaps naively but nonetheless firmly, that the world is richer for its religious pluralism, and that it would also be safer if the quest for mutual understanding of that diversity were a higher priority. Religion means being committed to a quest for answers that transcend the appearances of things, but the quality of quest has everything to do with the effort seekers are willing to invest. Meanwhile, one of the noblest and most useful tasks to which we can commit ourselves is a greater understanding of how and why people believe as they do. What people believe – and why they believe it – profoundly influences the way they act. A person with loving kindness and compassion heals others simply by existing. If we have loving kindness and compassion, our prime concern will always be not to hurt others, and this in itself is healing. A compassionate person is the most powerful healer, not only of their own disease and other problems, but of those of others. Developing our compassion also helps us to develop wisdom, especially the wisdom that realizes emptiness, the ultimate nature of the “I”, the mind, and all other phenomena. At the moment, our knowledge is very limited. Our understanding is very limited, as is our ability to help others. The transformation of mind is ultimate healing. We do not view religion in a mechanistic fashion simply because a religious prayer brings forth this desired physiologic response. Rather we believe these age-old prayers are one way to remedy an inner incompleteness and to reduce inner discord. There are many aspects of religious beliefs which have lot to do with the relaxation and peace. I do believe, however, that God, or Ultimate Reality, is far too great for any religious tradition, or all of them put together, to master or dispense; and that each individual who seeks with a sincere heart the center and goal of his or her life will be led to it. Religious beliefs and cultural assumptions are often so intimately intertwined that it is rarely, if ever, possible to disentangle them. All religions strive to control the lives of their members, and thus they play an important role in public life. In view of dangers all societies face in today’s world, religions would do well to remember their humanitarian function and support the growth of a system of ethics that will enable human beings to live together in peace. One Divine Power? Many Concepts of Divinity. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: The Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, Juan Manuel Gomez-Robledo, was elected Chairman of the Sixth Committee (Legal) for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly on 8 June 2006. What is the main business of the Sixth Committee? Most of the issues that the United Nations addresses have a legal expression, so the Sixth Committee is entrusted with promoting the codification and progressive development of international law. That means that the Committee receives all the inputs that are generated in other bodies, like the International Law Commission (ILC), on topics that are ripe to be converted into a convention or other legal instruments. For example, the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) came out of a first draft by the ILC. Then the Sixth Committee took it up and set up a preparatory committee for the Rome Conference in 1997 [leading to the establishment of the ICC]. The Sixth Committee may also take up sources for further development of international law from other places. This year, a new topic in the Committee was to fundamentally change the way justice is administered at the United Nations. The Administrative Tribunal that is entrusted with the task of processing claims of UN staff members against the Secretary-General, for example. This is a tribunal that needs to be reformed, and we decided to hold a resume session on this item in March. How has the Sixth Committee dealt with the issue surrounding abuse in peacekeeping missions? This issue came from the Fourth Committee, which is in charge of peacekeeping operations. In the last few years, there has been a series of complaints about sexual and other kinds of abuse by individual members of the United Nations peacekeeping operations. This prompted the Secretary-General to assign a special advisor on that topic, Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein of Jordan. He identified a problem with this situation: Because people who belong to a peacekeeping operation are protected with immunity, it might be difficult, or almost possible, to prosecute them. Another expert group concluded that we need another convention to allow for mechanisms for prosecuting these people. What is the significance of the new agenda item on “The rule of law at the national and international level”? In his annual report in 2004, the Secretary-General raised the issue of the “rule of law” and said he would use the remainder of his mandate to promote this issue in all UN activities. Mexico and Lichtenstein introduced this item because we realized there was no entity entrusted with promoting a coordinated approach for the promotion of the rule of law. That refers not only to the rule of law at the national level, but also the need to come to the assistance of the Member States when they ask themselves how to better incorporate international law in their domestic systems. An international law does not necessarily become part of a national system automatically. In some States it needs domestic legislation to be put it into practice. Many Member States do not have legal offices in their foreign ministries to perform a basic task like ratifying a treaty. These countries and also bigger ones, including mine [Mexico], might benefit from the help that various UN bodies, organs, programs, etc, can offer, but you need a coordinated approach. In my country we have a clause in our constitution that is a copy of Article Six of the United States constitution, where treaties become the supreme law of the land once they are ratified by the senate. However, that does not tell us anything about the hierarchy of international law with respect to the constitution. A local judge in Mexico may very well deny the value of a treaty if he or she believes it goes against the constitution, as happens quite often in other places, like this country [United States]. Certain Latin American countries have solved this by deciding that Human Rights treaties are above or at the same level as their own constitutions. That is already a big step forward. The rule of law does not mean “état légal.” The Nazi regime or the Franco regime was an “état légal,”, meaning they had laws passed by Parliaments. Among other things, “État de droit”-“Rule of law”-means a separation of powers, so that decisions by bodies like the Security Council are rooted in the UN Charter and international law. The Security Council has been widely criticized because it has not only expanded its scope of action, but it has done so without necessarily basing its decisions in the rule of international law in all cases. For some Member States, strengthening the rule of law means that decisions by bodies like the Security Council that are binding on all States should be much more rooted in international law. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): AIDS Epidemic Update: The 2007 AIDS epidemic update is a report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It includes contributions from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In 2007, advances in the methodology of estimations of HIV epidemics applied to an expanded range of country data have resulted in substantial changes in estimates of numbers of persons living with HIV worldwide. However the qualitative interpretation of the severity and implications of the pandemic has altered little. The estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide in 2007 was 33.2 million [30.6-36.1 million], a reduction of 16% compared with the estimate published in 2006 (39.5 million [34.7-47.1 million]). (UNAIDS/WHO, 2006). The single biggest reason for this reduction was the intensive exercise to assess India’s HIV epidemic, which resulted in a major revision of that country’s estimates. Important revisions of estimates elsewhere, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, also contributed. Of the total difference in the estimates published in 2006 and 2007, 70% are due to changes in six countries: Angola, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. In both Kenya and Zimbabwe, there is increasing evidence that a proportion of the declines is due to a reduction of the number of new infections which is in part due to a reduction in risky behaviors. Because estimates of new HIV infections and HIV-associated deaths are derived through mathematical models applied to HIV prevalence estimates, new estimates of HIV incidence and mortality in 2007 also differ substantially from earlier assessments. It is emphasized that these differences between estimates published in 2006 and those published in 2007 result largely from refinements in methodology, rather than trends in the pandemic itself. Details: http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 12, December 2007, 901-980 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Examining the shortcomings of the ‘liberal peace’ model: A key focus of the project is to explore – and perhaps challenge – the values and assumptions upon which international actors base their peace-building approaches and activities. Although international peace-building activities have a reasonably good record in containing armed conflict, many analysts have argued that they have been much less successful in resolving the underlying sources of conflict – or even that they exacerbate these underlying conflicts. An emerging debate is exploring if the collapse or endangerment of peace processes in recent years – in cases such as Burundi, Rwanda, East Timor, and Afghanistan – might be in part explained by the values of international peace processes which follow the model of the ‘liberal peace’. The liberal peace embraces democracy; human rights; market values and the integration of societies into globalization; self determination; and the idea of the state and citizenship. Most internationally sponsored peace processes can be characterized by these values, which are assumed to be integral to modern, stable societies. This assumption also reflects a broader political wave of opinion. A number of states have placed a great deal of national foreign policy emphasis upon the promotion of democracy as a means for spreading peace within societies and internationally. In some circles, the liberal peace is regarded as a panacea. Details: http://update.unu.edu/issue46_25.htm Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues At the global level Devote sufficient time and at least one full day of the annual General Assembly session to review and debate a report of the Secretary-General on progress achieved in realizing the commitments set out in this Declaration, with a view to identifying problems and constraints and making recommendations on action needed to make further progress; Ensure that HIV/AIDS issues are included on the agenda of all appropriate United Nations conferences and meetings; Support initiatives to convene conferences, seminars, workshops, training programs and courses to follow up issues raised in this Declaration and in this regard encourage participation in and wide dissemination of the outcomes of: the forthcoming Dakar Conference on Access to Care for HIV Infection; the Sixth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific; the XII International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa; the XIV International Conference on AIDS, Barcelona; the Xth International Conference on People Living with HIV/AIDS, Port of Spain; the II Forum and III Conference of the Latin American and the Caribbean Horizontal Technical Cooperation on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections, La Habana; the Vth International Conference on Home and Community Care for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS, Changmai, Thailand; Explore, with a view to improving equity in access to essential drugs, the feasibility of developing and implementing, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and other concerned partners, systems for voluntary monitoring and reporting of global drug prices; We recognize and express our appreciation to those who have led the effort to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to deal with its complex challenges; We look forward to strong leadership by Governments, and concerted efforts with full and active participation of the United Nations, the entire multilateral system, civil society, the business community and private sector; And finally, we call on all countries to take the necessary steps to implement this Declaration, in strengthened partnership and cooperation with other multilateral and bilateral partners and with civil society. 25 Years of AIDS: A Timeline: http://www.un.org:80/Pubs/chronicle/2006/issue2/0206p06.htm Top Two Articles Accessed in November 2007: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines: A Reproductive Health Perspective; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to World Health Organization (WHO) for the contributions. Placental Abnormalities & Major Obstetric Hemorrhage; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to Dr. Yinka Oyelese, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey (USA) for his priceless contribution, support and friendship. News, Invitations and Letters: Peace is a common desire of people throughout the world. The establishment of the United Nations in 1945, at the end of the most devastating war in human history, was an embodiment of this universal desire. Keeping peace and developing friendly relations among nations are among the main objectives of the Organization. To commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples of the world, the UN General Assembly in 1981 officially proclaimed an International Day of Peace, and at its fifty-fifth session decided to observe it on 21 September each year as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The General Assembly also invites all Member States, agencies, funds, organs and programs of the UN system, including non governmental organizations (NGOs), to honor the International Day in creative ways. Each year, it is observed at UN Headquarters with a special ceremony by the Peace Bell, cast from coins donated by people from some 60 countries, where the Secretary-General delivers a special message before ringing the bell, asking people throughout the world to observe a minute of silence and reflect on the universal goal of peace. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon message on International Peace Day: “Peace is one of humanity’s most precious needs. It is also the United Nations highest calling. It defines our mission. It drives our discourse. And it draws together all of our world-wide work, from peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy to promoting human rights and development. On this International Day, let us promise to make peace not just a priority, but a passion.” UNLEARNING CONFLICT BY STUDYING PEACE The University for Peace Comes of Age The University for Peace (UPEACE) has undoubtedly undergone many changes since its establishment. Mandated in 1980 by the General Assembly in accordance with a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica-the first nation to abolish its army-the University called for promoting global peace and tolerance. In 2000, it began offering short-term courses and expanded a few years ago its scholarship to full-length graduate degree programs. In an effort to keep the University apolitical and academic, it was given its own charter and financial independence from the United Nations. However, its staff and students are proud to claim the ethos of the United Nations as the lifeblood of the school. Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2007/issue1/0107p40.htm The UN General Assembly in 1954 adopted resolution 836 (IX), recommending that all countries institute a Universal Children’s Day, to be observed on 20 November, as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It also recommended that the Day be devoted to the promotion of the ideals and objectives of the UN Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. The date 20 November also marks the adoption by the Assembly of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the driving force that helps uphold the Convention, has noted that six of the eight Millennium Development Goals relate directly to children and meeting the last two would also make critical improvements in their lives. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s annual report “Note on International Protection”- Report by the High Commissioner While the report noted some bright spots on the horizon with more than 700,000 refugees able to return home last year, broadly positive resettlement trends and an increase in the number of resettlement countries, UNHCR was concerned about the growth of a class of persons becoming “untouchables” for resettlement countries. Full text (PDF, 19 pages): http://www.unhcr.org/excom/EXCOM/46939b882.pdf (pdf) 60th Annual DPI/NGO Conference “Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All” Final Report (pdf) Special Thanks: WHEC thanks The Executive Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations Associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information for their support to our mission. It is indeed our pleasure and privilege to work with everyone. Beyond the numbers… Let the road be rough and dreary; And its end far out of sight; Foot it bravely! strong or weary; Trust in God and do the right. Simple rule and safest guiding; Inward peace and inward might; Star upon one path abiding; Trust in God and do the right.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) January 2008; Vol. 3, No. 1 Practice & Policy Wish you the very best for the New Year from all of us at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) Doing good is becoming the business of business. We believe that doing well and doing good are inextricably linked. Worldwide problems as diverse as poverty, disease, lack of education and pollution, which were historically addressed by political and social activists, are now being tackled by businesses as well. Creating cultures that care is our mission. Expanding global markets, outsourcing and the spread of Internet to the remotest regions of the world have enlarged the concept of what “community” means. WomensHealthSection.com is emerging as a powerful force for social action and change. Complicated global problems require innovative thinking and new levels of commitment, even as debate rises about where to focus time and resources. The problems of the world are also the problems of business. In the days and year ahead, business leaders will feel a growing mandate to treat social responsibility as a strategic imperative. The mission of Women’s Health and Education center (WHEC) is to facilitate change and improve the quality of life in countries around the world by providing financial, social and technical support so communities can become self-sustaining. The anticipation is building. WHEC Update in 2008 explores United Nations Charter. You will see many things about the WomensHealthSection.com that may surprise you. A new angle on classic, and our masterpiece series: Redefining Healthcare (health economics). The demand for health-for-all is one of the defining movements of 21st Century. As a pioneer in creating new break-through throughout this project / program, WHEC is leading the way in this movement, as well as redefining Continuing Medical Education. The Masterpiece Series on health economics pays tribute to the UN System and our readers! e-Health networks can remove distance and time barriers to the flow of information and knowledge for health. It is important to focus attention on the use of available knowledge by underserved communities, such as developing country health systems. Goods are traded, but services are consumed and produced in the same place. In terms of both individual expertise and institutional capability, traditional educational methods are inadequate to meet the needs of health sector in many countries. Internet-based medical education offers a partial solution and Internet offers promise as an alternative provider of local training. When we had decided to launch WomensHealthSection.com our vision was — it had to be timeless, classic and be sensitive to the cultures. Cultural Diversity is now the norm in the medical practice in each and every country. Curriculum development is an ongoing process and we constantly review it for further improvement and relevance. Welcome to the Working Group of the WHEC! Healing Our World Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: Why do healthcare workers migrate? Do you have opinion on policy options to manage migration and suggestions for the developing countries to reverse the “brain-drain”? Human Migration: The history of humanity is a history of migration — and has been since the first humans on earth. Immigrants and emigrants — invading hordes and war refugees — mass migrations — all of these terms describe aspects of a complex problem that is of crucial global importance today. Environmental catastrophes, rapid population growth, and economic stagnation in some regions; sluggish population growth accompanied by strong economic expansion in others; political disputes and regional conflicts, civil wars, and famines — all of these factors will continue to cause large-scale population migrations and waves of refugees in the 21st century. In a global economy, hardly a single country will be spared the consequences of the developments. The overall economic and social contexts in which healthcare workers make the decisions to migrate are: wars, deprivation, and social unrest may all provoke waves of migration. The migration of health workers is primarily demand led, with workforce shortages in some destination countries, such as USA and UK. The availability of employment, particularly in the developed world, has a significant impact on the decision to migrate. In general, migration is influenced by social networks, which offer support to new migrants and often connections to employment. Nurses have links with nursing organizations and networks that may foster further migration. These networks then assist new migrants with social and cultural assimilation. A similar picture emerges for countries with colonial and political ties, where there are already established cohorts of migrants. The factors affecting health professionals’ decision to migrate are: Want better or more realistic remuneration Want a more conductive working environment Want to continue education or training Want to work in better managed health system Strategies to address brain drain: The issues surrounding brain drain are complex. For developing countries, scientific trainees who fail to return are a drain on the economy and on capacity building. While abroad, they can contribute to scientific advances of importance to their home country and serve as mentors for other trainees. Continuing Medical Education (CME) initiatives are one example of such efforts, which can be of benefit to donor, and recipient countries both. About NGO Association with the UN: The Millennium Declaration, signed by world’s leaders of 189 countries in 2000, established 2015 as the deadline for achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The majority of MDG targets has a baseline of 1990, and is set to monitor achievements over the period 1990-2015. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty & Hunger TARGET: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. Worldwide, the number of people in developing countries living on less than $1 a day fell to 980 million in 2004 — down from 1.25 billion in 1990. The Extreme poverty is beginning to fall in sub-Saharan Africa. The benefits of economic growth in the developing world have been unequally shared, both within and among countries. Between 1990 and 2004, the share of national consumption by the poorest fifth of the population in developing regions decreased from 4.6 to 3.9 per cent (in countries where consumption figures were unavailable, data on income were used). Widening income inequality is of particular concern in Eastern Asia, where the share of consumption among the poorest people declined dramatically during this period. Still, inequality remains the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean and in sub-Saharan Africa, where the poorest fifth of the people account for only about 3 per cent of national consumption (or income). Globally, the proportion of children under five who are underweight declined by one fifth over the period 1990-2005. Eastern Asia showed the greatest improvement and is surpassing the MDG target, largely due to nutritional advances in China. Western Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean have also demonstrated significant progress, with underweight prevalence dropping by more than one third. The greatest proportions of children going hungry continue to be found in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Poor progress in these regions means that it is unlikely that the global target will be met. If current trends continue, the world will miss the 2015 target by 30 million children, essentially robbing them of their full potential. TARGET: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Child hunger is declining in all regions, but meeting the target will require accelerated progress. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): The European Network of Health Promoting Schools the alliance of education and health Birth of the concept: Schools intend to help pupils acquire the knowledge and develop the skills they need to participate fully in adult life, but all too often fall short of this goal. In 1991, three international agencies in Europe — the European Commission (EC), the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Council of Europe (CE) — launched an innovative project to combine education and health promotion in order to realize the potential of both. Along with the three leading organizations, dozens of European countries and hundreds of schools have formed the European Network of Health Promoting Schools (ENHPS) to create within schools environments conducive to health. Working together to make their schools better places in which to learn and work, pupils and school staff take action to benefit their physical, mental and social health. In the process, they gain knowledge and skills that improve the outcomes of education. Health education has a long tradition in schools, but has usually been only a part of the curriculum and focused on single causes of ill health in individuals, such as smoking and alcohol and drug abuse. Starting with this link between education and health, the three leading organizations developed the idea of integrating health promotion into every aspect of the school setting, addressing all the people connected with it: pupils, their teachers, all other school staff, parents and eventually the wider community. A 1990 conference on health education, sponsored by EC, CE and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, recommended that the three organizations jointly plan and manage ENHPS. It built on the collaborative work done in the 1980s under the CE pilot project “Education for Health”. This joint work is in line with WHO’s current priorities for health promotion and its use of the settings approach: addressing a particular setting to enable all the people linked with it to improve their health. The settings approach is the foundation for WHO projects for healthy cities, hospitals and prisons, as well as schools. ENHPS is also in the spirit of the EC Council Resolution of 23 November 1988 on the implementation of health education in schools and a 1990 EC conference on health education and disease prevention in schools. EC, CE and WHO work together to create health promoting schools throughout Europe. Details: http://www.euro.who.int/document/e62361.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 86, Number 1, January 2008, 1-80 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU-WIDER (World Institute for Development Economics Research) Expert Series on Health Economics: Aid to Fragile States: Do Donors Help or Hinder? The record of aid to fragile and poorly-performing states is the real test of aid effectiveness. Rich countries can justify aid to fragile states both through altruism and self-interest. But, with some exceptions, donors have appeared at the wrong times and with the wrong attitudes, even sometimes undermining development progress. State failure has dimensions of both will and capacity. Failure demands constructive engagement by donors, in some cases to save people in weak states from their leaders, and in all cases to save the states from circumstances which they cannot control. This paper examines the aid relationship with respect to three weak countries. Burma presents a case of comprehensive failure of political will and capacity, but isolating the regime, as some donors have chosen to do, will only perpetuate the plight of the population. Rwanda provides an alarming example of donor complicity in state collapse. The country has now rebounded from the terrible genocide of 1994, but some donors still cannot set aside their political and cultural biases. Zambia has lived through many years of bilaterally-assisted economic mismanagement, and also proved to be a highly unsuitable case for Bretton Woods treatment. It is doing better now that the country is more willing and able to take control of its development agenda. The paper concludes with eight principles for donors to observe in engaging more productively with fragile states. UNU — WIDER; Discussion Paper No. 2007/01 Stephen Browne* May 2007 (Details of the paper can be accessed from the link of UNU-WIDER on CME Page of WomensHealthSection.com) United Nations Foundation: The UN Foundation was created in 1998. The Honorable Timothy E. Wirth is President of the United Nations Foundation. He was United States Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs and a member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation is a public charity. The UN Foundation strengthens and supports the UN and its causes through a blend of advocacy, grant-making, and partnerships. Wherever possible, it aligns these core organizational assets behind the large-scale problems we address. Advocacy: From the outset, it has worked to strengthen the relationship between the UN and the U.S. government—with a focus on getting Congress to clear up billions of dollars in arrears owed by the U.S. to the UN, and on continuing to pay the dues on time and in full. This effort—led by the UN Foundation’s sister organization, the Better World Fund—built the base for broader public outreach campaigns about the importance of international cooperation and a strong U.S.–UN relationship. Grant-making: Since its inception in 1998, the UN Foundation and Better World Fund have awarded grants amounting to over $900 million—including nearly $400 million in funds from dozens of partners and thousands of grassroots donors—in support of UN projects and activities in 115 countries. Partnerships: The UN Foundation makes it easy to engage in the work of the UN. As a platform for partnering with the UN, it helps corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals make a difference in the important work the UN does across a broad range of issues. The role in these partnerships varies—from catalyst to convener, advocate to grant-maker, fiduciary to fundraising ally—but in each case, it is able to achieve an outcome that is greater than what any single actor would have accomplished working alone. These efforts are conducted in close coordination with the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), the strategic counterpoint within the UN system. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): UNESCO was created in 1946 to build lasting world peace based on the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind. Its areas of work are education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture and communication. Its programs aim at promoting a culture of peace and human and sustainable development. They focus on: achieving education for all; promoting environmental research through international scientific programs; supporting the expression of cultural identities; protecting and enhancing the world’s natural and cultural heritage; and promoting the free flow of information and press freedom, as well as strengthening the communication capacities of developing countries. UNESCO maintains a system of 190 National Commissions and is supported by some 5,000 UNESCO Associations, Centers and Clubs. It enjoys official relations with 350 NGOs, and also cooperates with various foundations and international and regional networks. UNESCO’s governing body — the General Conference — is made up of all member states and meets every two years. The Executive Board, consisting of 58 members elected by the Conference, is responsible for supervising the program adopted by the Conference. UNESCO has a staff of 2,145. Its regular budget for 2002-2003 was $544 million. Headquarters: 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07-SP, France. United Nations Charter: We the Peoples of the United Nations …. United for a Better World The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter. Amendments to Articles 23, 27 and 61 of the Charter were adopted by the General Assembly on 17 December 1963 and came into force on 31 August 1965. A further amendment to Article 61 was adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 1971, and came into force on 24 September 1973. An amendment to Article 109, adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 1965, came into force on 12 June 1968. The amendment to Article 23 enlarges the membership of the Security Council from eleven to fifteen. The amended Article 27 provides that decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members (formerly seven) and on all other matters by an affirmative vote of nine members (formerly seven), including the concurring votes of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The amendment to Article 61, which entered into force on 31 August 1965, enlarged the membership of the Economic and Social Council from eighteen to twenty-seven. The subsequent amendment to that Article, which entered into force on 24 September 1973, further increased the membership of the Council from twenty-seven to fifty-four. The amendment to Article 109, which relates to the first paragraph of that Article, provides that a General Conference of Member States for the purpose of reviewing the Charter may be held at a date and place to be fixed by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Assembly and by a vote of any nine members (formerly seven) of the Security Council. Paragraph 3 of Article 109, which deals with the consideration of a possible review conference during the tenth regular session of the General Assembly, has been retained in its original form in its reference to a “vote, of any seven members of the Security Council”, the paragraph having been acted upon in 1955 by the General Assembly, at its tenth regular session, and by the Security Council. Chapter I — Purposes and Principles Article 1 The Purposes of the United Nations are: To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace; To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. Article 2 The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles. The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the present Charter, and shall refrain from giving assistance to any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action. The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act in accordance with these Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security. Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII. To be continued… Top Two-Articles Accessed in December 2007: Adolescent Health Care; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to the World Health Organization for priceless contributions. Group B Streptococci Perinatal Infections: A Comprehensive Review; Author: Dr. Ronald S. Gibbs, Professor and Chair, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado (USA) News, Invitations, and Letters: Regional implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002. Note by the Secretary-General: The Secretary-General has the honor to transmit to the Commission for Social Development at its forty-sixth session the report of the regional commissions submitted in response to Commission resolution 45/1, entitled “Modalities for the first review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002”. The present report is submitted by the regional commissions in response to Commission for Social Development resolution 45/1 in which the Commission requested all regional commissions to forward their findings of the first regional review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, along with identified priorities for future action regarding its implementation, to the Commission at its forty-sixth session in 2008. The report provides regional perspectives on the activities related to the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action and underlines the enormous challenges that persist for the ageing population in the regions. Future priority actions at the regional level to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the ageing process will have to be tailored to each region, taking into account needs and circumstances and the differing nature of the process of ageing at the regional and subregional levels. The report offers a number of recommendations for consideration by the Commission for Social Development. Details: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=E/CN.5/2008/2 10-Year Strategic Review: Children and Conflict in a Changing World Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): A ten-year strategic review report by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF discusses the evolving and severe impact of conflicts on children and measures progress made since the Graça Machel report in 1996. The report puts pressure on all UN Member States to fulfill their responsibilities to children by giving them access to basic services like education, health, nutrition, water, and sanitation. It also recommends ending impunity for those responsible. http://www.un.org/children/conflict/_documents/machel/MachelReviewReport.pdf (pdf) A companion piece to the report entitled Will You Listen? compiles the views and recommendations of over 1,700 children in 92 countries. Their thoughts were collected as a contribution to the review through a series of focus group discussions and an online questionnaire. Focus group discussions were conducted by UNICEF, UNFPA, and NGO partners in 18 countries, and involved over 1,385 participants in 125 focus groups. Intergovernmental Negotiations and Decision Making at the United Nations: A Guide United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), Nov 2007, Second Edition The second edition of NGLS’s popular Intergovernmental Negotiations and Decision Making at the United Nations: A Guide (pdf) explains the governance and decision-making fora and processes of the UN system. Section One explains the principal UN organs of intergovernmental decision making; the negotiating blocs of Member States at the UN; the various types of documentation; and the nature of UN decisions and the weight they carry internationally. This updated second edition includes information on new UN bodies and processes following on from the outcomes of the 2005 World Summit. Section Two provides practical knowledge, advice and guidance to non-governmental representatives who wish to engage with the UN system, ranging from accreditation to the preparatory process, to engaging in follow-up activities after a meeting. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Francis H. Boudreau, Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston, MA (USA) for his priceless support and friendship. St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center will always be home to all of us at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC). Thank you very much. Beyond the numbers… The school is an extraordinarily effective setting in which to improve the health of students, families and members of the community. It is a means of supporting the basic human rights of both education and health.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) February 2008; Vol. 3, No. 2 Poverty and illiteracy will always remain one of the root causes for women and children to be lured into prostitution. To be able to read, write and calculate has been acknowledged as a human right. Gender equality, including in education, is a condition for development. This issue inaugurates our new thrust with a special section on education. Our premise is that there is no right “time” or “age” for education. It begins before school, continues beyond retirement and comprehends the many stages in between. In a word — education for life. We are privileged to have articles by experts dealing with various aspects of women’s health, healthcare and health economics in WomensHealthSection.com running the wide gamut from universities as agents for social and economic progress to basic literacy as a window to other cultures. We will re-sharpen its focus as a journal for such exchange of ideas that keeps pace with current thought, study and debate. We encourage readers, teachers, and other educators to view WomensHealthSection.com as a resource for information and debate, learning and ideas … and to share with us their experiences, and their expectations of us. In that light, we encourage everyone to take a few minutes to think — why is this important? Colleges and universities in many countries, particularly in the United States are not offering adequate courses in international relations that reflect current global affairs, nor are they meeting student demands for a curriculum that is more relevant to today’s question. Obstacles should be removed, and new research and writing that cross boundaries and bring together information in a way that can speak to today’s readers and students must be supported and encouraged. A major lesson of the past decade is that implementation of internationally agreed goals requires a sound plan of action, a committed core team of thoughtful and practical leaders, who are able to advance implementation even when circumstances evolve and political attention is diverted, and a concerted coordination among a large number of involved institutions, stakeholders and Governments. The year 2008 can and should be a time of great progress in sustainable development. Leadership is key and may have to be cultivated at the university and college president and provost levels. It is not and either/or strategy; there can be multiple strategies. International health is a way of dealing with international problems; whether it is spread of SARS, HIV/AIDS, how technology should be used to serve our patients and communities better, human rights and access to affordable healthcare — the list is endless, should be used to facilitate development. To meet this challenge, those who see the need for change must press forward. We need to train more healthcare professionals who can teach across disciplines and have a broad knowledge of international organizations. Writing is a way of listening to the world. Read on! …and write… International Health and Development Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: Should national governments open up hospital services and health insurance to foreign investors and healthcare providers? Should health tourism, that is patient traveling abroad to receive medical care, be promoted as an export industry? Trade Policy and Health: The links between trade agreements and health have been the subject of intense international debate in policy and academic circles in recent years. The debate about trade and health also reflects worries about the impact of international trade on health systems. The active promotion of health tourism can exacerbate the shortage of physicians in rural areas because of internal brain drain. In several countries, a national inter-ministerial committee plays this role, fostering coherence across the large number of issues that are affected by trade policy: procurement, environmental policies, public services and so on. Some countries prefer a special mechanism devoted to trade and health coordination. Trade and health officials need detailed information to be able to make informed choices about how to balance divergent interests and views. International organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization have an important role to play in developing the evidence relevant to trade and health policy and making it accessible to policy-makers. The Ministry of Health in Thailand and India have been monitoring the impact of health tourism and found that the increased demand for doctors and nurses to care for foreign patients has led to an internal brain drain from the rural public sector to the urban private sector. Thanks to this monitoring capacity, the ministry of health could adopt a policy for scaling-up the training of doctors and nurses under a special curriculum to facilitate rural distribution. Many low-income countries may not have the resources to create a distinct unit or committee to deal with trade and health, and regional collaboration may be the best way to ensure internal coherence. We suggest; bringing a wide range of governmental and non-governmental actors into the policy process is critical to ensuring policy coherence. This is an effective way to ensure that divergent views and interests are included in an explicit and transparent manner in the balancing act of policy-making. Year 2007 in Review: The Women’s Health and Education Center’s Report 2007: We certainly ended 2007 with a bang!!! This analysis focuses on our e-learning project / program — WomensHealthSection.com. It brings together a wealth of information and application of technical expertise. This year’s edition of WHEC’s flagship publication examines the health and status of women around the world. Millions of girls and women continue to live in poverty, disempowered and discriminated against. We aim to facilitate the creation of policies and concrete plans on the issue of women, peace and security through the provision of good practices and specific recommendations. Join us to improve maternal and child health worldwide. WomensHealthSection.com served 4.5 million readers in 198 countries / territories with an average of 15,000 to 20,000 visitors a day in 2007 with links to about 30,000 websites every month. On average 42,000 files, 2,500 URLs and 3,600 pages were accessed every month. WomensHealthSection.com expanded from 5 sections to 15 sections in 2007 and we hope to continue to grow. In the spirit of growth in this digital age, WomensHealthSection.com was redesigned in 2007. We have rearranged content so it is easier for you to find what you need. We welcome your feedback and hope you find the Web site to be useful — a continuing mission. Top 10 Countries out of 198 Countries/Territories: USA; Mexico; Canada; France; China; Saudi Arabia; Russian Federation; Spain; U.K.; Argentina. Top 5 Groups out of 25: US Commercial; US Educational; Nonprofit organizations; US Government; International (Int). Top 5 User Agents out of 254: Microsoft (MSIE 6.0 and 7.0); Google (Googlebot/2.1 and /imgres); Yahoo (Yahoo! Slurp and Yahoo! Slurp China); MSN (msnbot-media); Ask.com (Ask Jeeves/Tecoma). Top 5 most popular sections out of 15: Obstetrics; Gynecologic Oncology; Violence against Women; Healthcare Policies and Women’s Health; Obstetric Fistulae. Top 5 most read articles out of 150: 1) Syphilis in Pregnancy: Prevention of Congenital Syphilis; 2) Sonographic Screening for Down Syndrome; 3) Human Papilloma virus (HPV) Vaccines: A Reproductive Health Perspective; 4) The Obstetrical Fistula in the Developing World; 5) Poverty and Maternal Mortality. Beneficiaries: Visitors of WomensHealthSection.com (more than 25 million readers worldwide and growing fast…) Women’s Health & Education Center (WHEC) expresses gratitude to the UN System, teaching hospitals / universities and their faculty for donating their priceless work and research to WomensHealthSection.com. Their work and dedication has helped to improve health & status of women worldwide. There are no strangers at Women’s Health & Education Center (WHEC) — only the friends you have not met. WomensHealthSection.com is serving with pride in 198 countries/territories — their continuing support is deeply appreciated. Thank You. About NGO Association with the UN: The Millennium Declaration, signed by world’s leaders of 189 countries in 2000, established 2015 as the deadline for achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The majority of MDG targets has a baseline of 1990, and is set to monitor achievements over the period 1990-2015. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education TARGET: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to education. But education is much more than just a basic human right. It can build not only mutual understanding among cultures at the individual level but also help us achieve progress at the global level. In reality, education has the power to transform both the individual and the world for the better. Whether at its most fundamental level of teaching someone how to read and write, or in its developmental role of training scientists, engineers and teachers, education fuels the engine for global peace and progress. With over 860 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write — one in five adults — and more than 113 million children out of school, the United Nations has launched the Literacy Decade (2003-2012) under the theme “Literacy as Freedom”. Literacy efforts have so far failed to reach the poorest and most marginalized groups, according to the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and priority attention will be given to the most disadvantaged groups, especially women and girls, ethnic and linguistic minorities, indigenous populations, migrants and refuges, disabled persons, and out-of-school children and youth. UNESCO will coordinate the international efforts to extend literacy under the Decade. The implementation of the Decade’s plan of action comprises five two-year periods structured around gender, poverty, health, peace and freedom. Sub-Saharan Africa is making progress towards universal enrollment, but has a long way to go. The United Nations Literacy Decade aims to significantly increase literacy rates, especially among women and girls and those living in places with high levels of illiteracy, such as Africa and South Asia. It provides a back drop to the implementation of the eight Millennium Development Goals, adopted by world leaders in 2000, two of which concern education: universal primary education and gender equality in education. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Make Every Mother and Child Count; Key Findings of The World Health Report 2005. By Jessica Bankes Beattie Attending to all 136 million births every year is one of the major challenges that face the world’s health systems. For optimum safety, every woman needs professional, skilled care when giving birth. A woman should also be able to give birth in an appropriate environment that is close to where she lives and that respects her birthing culture. Such care can best be provided by a registered midwife or a health worker with midwifery skills in first-level facilities. This can avert many life-threatening problems that may arise during childbirth and can reduce maternal mortality to surprisingly low levels. The need for care does not stop when the birth is over; the hours, days and weeks that follow can be dangerous for both mothers and babies. The welcome emphasis in recent years on improving skilled attendance at birth should not divert attention from this critical period during which half of maternal deaths and many diseases occur. Meet the Authors; http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue3/0305p65.html Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 86, Number 2, February 2008, 81-160 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU-WIDER (World Institute for Development Economics Research) Expert Series on Health Economics Linking Globalization to Poverty Overview: While the economic opportunities offered by globalization can be large, a question is often raised as to whether the actual distribution of gains is fair, in particular, whether the poor benefit less than proportionately from globalization and could under some circumstances be hurt by it. This Policy Brief summarizes and examines the various channels and transmission mechanisms, such as greater openness to trade and foreign investment, economic growth, effects on income distribution, technology transfer and labor migration, through which the process of globalization affects different dimensions of poverty in the developing world. Globalization provides a strong potential for a major reduction in poverty in the developing world because it creates an environment conducive to faster economic growth and transmission of knowledge. However, structural factors and policies within the world economy and national economies have impeded the full transmission of the benefits of the various channels of globalization for poverty reduction. World income distribution continues to be very unequal and many poor countries particularly in Africa are stagnating. Moreover, there is much empirical evidence that openness contributes to more within-country inequality. China is a good example with coastal provinces as opposed to inland provinces reaping the major benefits of globalization. Progress on poverty reduction has also been uneven. Although the share of the population of developing countries living below US$1 per day declined from 40 per cent to 21 per cent between 1981 and 2001, this was mainly achieved by the substantial reduction of the poor in Asia, in particular in China. Notwithstanding the drop in relative poverty, the total number of people living under US$2 per day actually increased worldwide. In particular, poverty has increased significantly in Africa in both absolute and relative terms. The risks and costs brought about by globalization can be significant for fragile developing economies and the world’s poor. The downside of globalization is most vividly epitomized at times of global financial and economic crises. The costs of the repeated crises associated with economic and financial globalization appear to have been borne overwhelmingly by the developing world, and often disproportionately so by the poor who are the most vulnerable. On the other hand, benefits from globalization in booming times are not necessarily shared widely and equally in the global community. Though any trend in poverty and income inequality observed so far cannot be exclusively or even mainly attributed to globalization without rigorous analyses, even the most optimistic estimates cannot dismiss concerns that the globalization process, as it has proceeded to date, may have had some adverse effects on poverty and income distribution. These concerns have generated a passionate debate worldwide as well as a powerful anti-globalization movement. No. 2, 2007. Written by Machiko Nissanke and Erik Thorbecke (Details of the paper can be accessed from the link of UNU-WIDER on CME Page of WomensHealthSection.com) United Nations Charter: We the Peoples of the United Nations …. United for a Better World (Continued) CHAPTER II MEMBERSHIP Article 3 The original Members of the United Nations shall be the states which, having participated in the United Nations Conference on International Organization at San Francisco, or having previously signed the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, sign the present Charter and ratify it in accordance with Article 110. Article 4 Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations. The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Article 5 A Member of the United Nations against which preventive or enforcement action has been taken by the Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The exercise of these rights and privileges may be restored by the Security Council. Article 6 A Member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. CHAPTER III ORGANS Article 7 There are established as the principal organs of the United Nations: a General Assembly a Security Council an Economic and Social Council a Trusteeship Council an International Court of Justice and a Secretariat. Such subsidiary organs as may be found necessary may be established in accordance with the present Charter. Article 8 The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in January 2008: The Pap Smear; Author: Dr. Bruce R. Dziura, New England Pathology Associates, Springfield, MA (USA). Guideline for performance of the Obstetric Ultrasound; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to World Health Organization for the contributions. News, Invitations and Letters: Human Security: The Commission on Human Security (CHS) defines human security as the protection of “the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and fulfillment”. Human security means protecting fundamental freedoms. It means protecting people from critical and pervasive threats and situations. It means using processes that build on people’s strengths and aspirations. It means creating political, social, environmental, economic, military and cultural systems that, when combined, give people the building blocks for survival, livelihood and dignity. Human security is far more than the absence of violent conflict. It encompasses human rights, good governance and access to economic opportunity, education and health care. It is a concept that comprehensively addresses both “freedom from fear” and “freedom from want”. To attain the goals of human security, the Commission proposes a framework based on the protection and empowerment of people. Empowerment implies a bottom up approach. It aims at developing the capabilities of individuals and communities to make informed choices and to act on their own behalf. Protection refers to the norms, processes and institutions required to shield people from critical and pervasive threats. It implies a “top-down” approach. States have the primary responsibility to implement such a protective structure. However, international and regional organizations, civil society and non-governmental actors, and the private sector also play a pivotal role in shielding people from menaces. Trust Fund Overview: The United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security was established in 1999 with the express aim of promoting human security through the protection and empowerment of people and communities threatened in their livelihood, survival and dignity. Since January 2006, the UNTFHS has committed over USD 72 million to projects in over 25 countries. Neither protection nor empowerment can be dealt with in isolation as they are mutually reinforcing. For more about the concept of human security as defined by the CHS, please go to the final report of the CHS. NGLS is pleased to share with you the January 2008 issue of “The Road to Doha”, a publication jointly produced by the DESA Financing for Development Office (FFDO) and the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) in the run-up to the International Conference to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus to be held in Doha, Qatar in the second half of 2008 (A/RES/61/191 and A/RES/62/187). The aim of this monthly newsletter is to help keep relevant stakeholders informed on the latest developments and events on the road leading to the Doha Conference. This issue contains information on the recently agreed preparatory process for the Doha Review Conference as well as a ‘guest editorial’ by Marina Durano of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) on economics for social provisioning. This piece is particularly timely as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will meet on the priority theme ‘Financing for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women‘ at its 52nd Session next month. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Herminia Roque, Editorial Assistant, UN Chronicle, Academic Initiative Section / Civil Society Service, United Nations for her priceless support and work to make this initiative a success. We all are looking forward to work with you for a long time to come. Thank you very much. Beyond the numbers… We live in deeds, not years; In thoughts, not breaths; In feelings, not in figures on the dial; We should count time by heart throbs; He most lives, _________ Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) March 2008; Vol. 3, No. 3 The most important factor to make motherhood safer appears to be political commitment in a country — the conviction among decision-makers and society in general that maternal deaths can and must be avoided. This conviction needs to permeate a society. It is linked to the value given to women and to women’s equal right to live. To promote this conviction people must be made aware that steps can be taken to reduce maternal mortality, and they are feasible even within the limits of scarce resources. One reason why maternal mortality has not received the attention and resources it needs is that it involves some of the most intimate and culturally sensitive aspects of life: birth, death and sexuality. Adolescents in most countries have more difficulty than adults in getting accurate information on sexual and reproductive health services, methods of contraception, maternal healthcare, and care for sexually transmitted diseases. This contributes significantly to the number of unnecessary maternal deaths among adolescent women. Our publication WomensHealthSection.com addresses the need for improving access to reproductive health services for adolescent women and men is thus essential for the reduction of maternal mortality. Pregnancy is special — let us make it safer. Long-held attitudes do not change overnight — it took many years of campaigning to improve services in industrialized countries and reduce maternal deaths. Political commitment in developing countries is now crucial if the necessary steps are to be taken. Safe motherhood, however, is not ensured only be good health services. Poverty, lack of education, and women’s lack of power to make decisions about their own health also contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality. Above all, achieving safe motherhood is about a more equitable distribution of resources so that nothing and nobody stands in the way of women’s access to essential services. Concerted action is needed to make safety a reality for millions of women around the world who give birth without the essential services. Women have a right to safe motherhood — midwives and obstetricians have an indispensable role to play in making it happen — we should take up the challenge. While pregnancy is safer in the USA than in the last century, many minority women still face increased risks of morbidity and mortality, associated with social and economic factors. Until economic, educational and cultural barriers are removed, it will be difficult to eliminate the gaps in maternal health to promote safe and happy pregnancies for all women. The Road Ahead Rita Luthra,, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What can be done about the private health sector in low-income countries? How can the activities of the private sector in these countries be influenced so that they help to meet national health objectives? Restructuring the Market: A very large private health sector exists in low-income countries. It consists of a great variety of providers and is used by a wide cross-section of the population. There are substantial concerns about the quality of care given, especially at the more informal end of the range of providers. This is particularly true for diseases of public health importance such as tuberculosis, malaria, and sexually transmitted infections. Although the evidence base is not good, there is a fair amount of information on the types of intervention that are most successful in directly influencing the behavior of providers and on what might be the necessary conditions for success. There is much less evidence, however, of effective approaches to interventions on the demand side and policies that involve strengthening the purchasing and regulatory roles of governments. In recent years there has been a considerable growth of interest in the activities of providers in the private health sector in low income countries, and in how policy-makers might best capitalize on the accessibility and popularity of this sector. However, the evidence is limited as to which approaches work best. There have been many references to social marketing, accreditation, franchising and contracting, but much of the experience is documented only in the unpublished literature or has been gained in relatively small projects. Recognizing the importance of the private sector in health system outcomes does not imply that the public sector has a diminished role to play. Rather, attention is drawn to the often neglected governmental role of stewardship, without which the private sector operates unchecked and unguided. Governments should regulate the private sector not just in the sense of legislating and administering formal rules but also by intervening to alter the incentives available to private sector institutions and thereby their activities and performance outcomes. We at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) support the activities of the private health sector in low-income countries so that they help to meet national health objectives. Research is necessary on the success of demand side strategies, which could both complement and increase the effectiveness of interventions targeted at the providers. About NGO Association with the UN: The Millennium Declaration, signed by world’s leaders of 189 countries in 2000, established 2015 as the deadline for achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The majority of MDG targets has a baseline of 1990, and is set to monitor achievements over the period 1990-2015. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women TARGET: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and in all levels of education no later than 2015. Women’s participation in paid, non-agricultural employment has continued to increase slowly. The greatest gains are in some of the regions where women have the least presence in the labor market — in Southern Asia, Western Asia and Oceania. In Northern Africa, where women’s participation is also low, progress has been insignificant. Only one in five paid employees in that region is a woman, a situation that has remained unchanged for the last 15 years. In other regions, women are slowly gaining access to paid employment at a level on par with men, or, in the case of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), exceeding it. Doors are opening slowly for women in the labor market. In Africa, although the share of parliamentary seats held by women has increased substantially, from 7 per cent in 1990 to 17 per cent this year, the share of women who earn a salary, aside from farming, still stood at less than one-third in 2005. Poverty cannot be eradicated without gender equality and women’s empowerment, and this would require a change of traditional and cultural gender norms. While failing to effectively address the impact that macroeconomic policies have on national poverty, Governments often view micro-credit as the solution to women’s poverty, because they have a strong track record as prudent savers and borrowers in micro-finance programs. Another crucial point for poverty eradication is women’s access to land, which becomes more difficult with growing privatization. Not only in the developing world do labor market discrimination and cultural and political mechanisms demote ethnic minority and migrant women to low-waged and low-skilled sectors; even developed countries seldom provide women with effective policies that reconcile family and working life. Equal pay and women’s integration in non-traditional sectors are still an exception to the rule. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): About World Health Organization (WHO) WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. In the 21st century, health is a shared responsibility, involving equitable access to essential care and collective defense against transnational threats. “Our greatest concern must always rest with disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. These groups are often hidden, live in remote rural areas or shantytowns and have little political voice.” Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. Working for health; An introduction to WHO Download [pdf 1.24Mb] Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 86, Number 3, March 2008, 161-240 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU-WIDER (World Institute for Development Economics Research) Expert Series on Health Economics: Capital Flows to Developing Countries Since the Asian Crisis: How to Manage their volatility? The project intends to fill the gaps in knowledge in two related areas: 1) what determines decisions by lenders / investors to enter or withdraw from individual developing countries? Even more, how has this decision making process been modified by recent crises and by the subsequent discussion of and measures taken for – a new financial architecture; 2) at a national level, in developing countries, what are the policy implications especially for macroeconomic and financial regulation policies, as well as for their interconnections – of volatile and reversible capital flows? In this context what policies are best pursued to maximize growth, investment and employment in the long-term, whilst minimizing risk of developmentally costly currency and financial crises? The project will consist of two closely integrated and highly complementary parts: 1) analysis of new trends in the supply of different categories of capital flows, since the Asian crisis, as well as their determinants, and international policy and regulatory implications of these trends and 2) evaluation of national policies to reduce both the volatility of capital flows and its’ negative domestic impact.” Project co-directors: Ricardo French-Davis; Stephany Griffith-Jones (Details of the paper can be accessed from the link of UNU-WIDER on CME Page of WomensHealthSection.com) Point of View: Peoples Open Access Education Initiative for Public Health: Peoples-uni.org An educational initiative http://www.peoples-uni.org aims to develop educational context around Open Educational Resources, freely available on the Internet, to help with Public Health capacity building in low- to middle-income countries. Local universities offering public health education may be oversubscribed for face to face courses and fees for overseas universities, including e-learning distance programs, are higher than can be afforded by most potential students in these countries. Internet-based e-learning has the exciting potential to deliver high quality learning resources anytime and anywhere, and although access is by no means universal it is improving quickly. There is an ever expanding range of high quality on line education resources freely available through the Internet, and a number of universities are putting educational material on-line for open access, although they do not include either teaching or accreditation of learning. The starting point is identified problems in Public Health, building towards Masters level courses, and a pilot of our first course module on Maternal Mortality attracted a large interest and was well received (1). Peoples-uni.org aims to provide educational context around the materials freely available on the Internet. A number of national and international partners have agreed to be part of this, and momentum is building. The Peoples-uni.org is still in development, and the Web 2.0 philosophy which underpins the initiative allows for continuous change and revision of the material and educational process, in particular to ensure ‘localization’ of the education to ensure it is relevant to the setting in which it is offered. To this end, any input or collaboration from individuals or organizations in low– to middle-income countries would be welcome. The initiative is largely dependent on volunteerism, taking place outside traditional educational and institutional settings. The main current issue for us to solve is how to engage health professionals in helping as course developers and facilitators of on-line learning. We seek volunteers from the ‘north’ and the ‘south’ to help in this. Reference: Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2007; 85:930-934 http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/12/07-044388.pdf By Richard F Heller Emeritus Professor Universities of Manchester, UK, and Newcastle, Australia Peoples Open Access Education Initiative e-mail: Dick.heller@manchester.ac.uk United Nations Charter: We the Peoples of the United Nations …. United for a Better World (Continued) Chapter IV — THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION Article 9 The General Assembly shall consist of all the Members of the United Nations. Each Member shall have not more than five representatives in the General Assembly. FUNCTIONS and POWERS Article 10 The General Assembly may discuss any questions or any matters within the scope of the present Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any organs provided for in the present Charter, and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations to the Members of the United Nations or to the Security Council or to both on any such questions or matters. Article 11 The General Assembly may consider the general principles of co-operation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments, and may make recommendations with regard to such principles to the Members or to the Security Council or to both. The General Assembly may discuss any questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security brought before it by any Member of the United Nations, or by the Security Council, or by a state which is not a Member of the United Nations in accordance with Article 35, paragraph 2, and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations with regard to any such questions to the state or states concerned or to the Security Council or to both. Any such question on which action is necessary shall be referred to the Security Council by the General Assembly either before or after discussion. The General Assembly may call the attention of the Security Council to situations which are likely to endanger international peace and security. The powers of the General Assembly set forth in this Article shall not limit the general scope of Article 10. Article 12 While the Security Council is exercising in respect of any dispute or situation the functions assigned to it in the present Charter, the General Assembly shall not make any recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless the Security Council so requests. The Secretary-General, with the consent of the Security Council, shall notify the General Assembly at each session of any matters relative to the maintenance of international peace and security which are being dealt with by the Security Council and shall similarly notify the General Assembly, or the Members of the United Nations if the General Assembly is not in session, immediately the Security Council ceases to deal with such matters. Article 13 The General Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of: a. promoting international co-operation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification; b. promoting international co-operation in the economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. The further responsibilities, functions and powers of the General Assembly with respect to matters mentioned in paragraph 1 (b) above are set forth in Chapters IX and X. Article 14 Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the General Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly relations among nations, including situations resulting from a violation of the provisions of the present Charter setting forth the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. Article 15 The General Assembly shall receive and consider annual and special reports from the Security Council; these reports shall include an account of the measures that the Security Council has decided upon or taken to maintain international peace and security. The General Assembly shall receive and consider reports from the other organs of the United Nations. Article 16 The General Assembly shall perform such functions with respect to the international trusteeship system as are assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas not designated as strategic. Article 17 The General Assembly shall consider and approve the budget of the Organization. The expenses of the Organization shall be borne by the Members as apportioned by the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall consider and approve any financial and budgetary arrangements with specialized agencies referred to in Article 57 and shall examine the administrative budgets of such specialized agencies with a view to making recommendations to the agencies concerned. VOTING Article 18 Each member of the General Assembly shall have one vote. Decisions of the General Assembly on important questions shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. These questions shall include: recommendations with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security, the election of the non-permanent members of the Security Council, the election of the members of the Economic and Social Council, the election of members of the Trusteeship Council in accordance with paragraph 1 (c) of Article 86, the admission of new Members to the United Nations, the suspension of the rights and privileges of membership, the expulsion of Members, questions relating to the operation of the trusteeship system, and budgetary questions. Decisions on other questions, including the determination of additional categories of questions to be decided by a two-thirds majority, shall be made by a majority of the members present and voting. Article 19 A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years. The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Member. PROCEDURE Article 20 The General Assembly shall meet in regular annual sessions and in such special sessions as occasion may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council or of a majority of the Members of the United Nations. Article 21 The General Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure. It shall elect its President for each session. Article 22 The General Assembly may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions. To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in February 2008: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Recognition & Prevention; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston, MA (USA), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for the assistance in preparation of the manuscript. Menopause: A Close-up Look; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to World Health Organization for the contributions. News, Invitations and Letters: In advance of the General Assembly’s commemorative high-level plenary session to mark the mid-decade point for the Plan of Action “A World Fit for Children (WFFC),” UNICEF has launched its Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review. The statistical review reports on how well the world is doing in meeting its commitments for the world’s children and analyses progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in four priority areas for children: promoting healthy lives, providing a quality education, combating HIV and AIDS, and protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence. For the first time, annual global deaths of children under age five fell below the 10 million mark, to 9.7 million. This represents a 60% reduction in the under-five mortality rate since 1960. Major improvements in the coverage of a number of key child survival interventions, including measles immunization, vitamin A supplementation, insecticide-treated mosquito nets and breastfeeding, are also highlighted. This edition also provides comprehensive information on such indicators as birth registration, child labor, female genital mutilation/cutting, child marriage and children affected by war, which offer a snapshot of the state of child protection. It reveals that the number of primary-school-age children who are not in school has declined from 115 million at the time of the 2002 Special Session to 93 million in 2005-2006, and that new evidence suggests declining HIV prevalence in some sub-Saharan African countries, although these trends are not yet widespread or strong enough to turn the tide. The report is available online. UNITED NATIONS; THE SECRETARY-GENERAL –MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 8 March 2008 At the 2005 World Summit, Governments of all nations agreed that “progress for women is progress for all”. Yet the 10-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action revealed a serious gap between policy and practice in many countries. A lack of political will is reflected in the most telling way of all: lack of resources and insufficient budgetary allocations. That is why the theme of this International Women’s Day is “Investing in Women and Girls”. This failure of funding undermines not only our endeavors for gender equality and women’s empowerment as such; it also holds back our efforts to reach all the Millennium Development Goals. As we know from long and indisputable experience, investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity and sustained economic growth. No measure is more important in advancing education and health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS. No other policy is as likely to improve nutrition, or reduce infant and maternal mortality. In the United Nations family too, we need to better match demands with resources. The resources available for gender mainstreaming must be made more sustainable and predictable — particularly at the regional and country levels. And to make a real difference, our gender-specific machinery needs funding that is commensurate with the challenges. I firmly believe that one dynamic and strengthened gender entity, consolidating resources currently scattered among several structures, would attract better funding from the donor community. By mobilizing forces of change at the global level, and inspiring enhanced results at the country level, such an entity would better advance our cause to empower women and realize gender equality worldwide. I urge Member States to muster the political will to bring the consultations on this issue to a successful conclusion. This year we find ourselves at the mid-point in the race to reach the Millennium Development Goals by the target date of 2015. Only by investing in the world’s women and girls can we expect to reach our destination. On this International Women’s Day, let us resolve to unite in this mission. Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Baha M. Sibai, Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati (USA) for his priceless contributions. It is indeed a pleasure to work with you. We hope to develop many projects/programs in women’s healthcare of mutual interest. Thanks again. Beyond the numbers… In all cultures, trained personnel with special knowledge of health are under an obligation to follow the written and unwritten rules that will ensure good practice. The solid principles of ethics and social well-being that have always formed part of health care will be the pillars that continue to support the future development of medical care and the health of society, even in the whirlwind of change in which we live.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) April 2008; Vol. 3, No. 4 Anniversary Edition We honor our past, celebrate present, and always look towards future. Inspired by the past; created for today — Women’s Health Section, brings your unique ideas to life with quality research and passion. Tells your story — for all time. This year on 12th April 2008, Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) celebrates its 7th anniversary. As the producer / publisher of WomensHealthSection.com — A Peer-Reviewed Journal in Women’s Healthcare, it is indeed a proud moment for all of us at WHEC. Why did we spend seven years creating an e-learning publication? The answer is simple: We Promised. Our cover-page reflects the truly unique vision. It is designed as a resource for healthcare providers and general public to offer a better understanding of reproductive health and cultural understanding. The articles are designed for all members of the interdisciplinary team: physicians, physician’s-assistants, nurse practitioners, midwives, nurses, social workers, therapists and other members seeking to enhance their knowledge of women’s health and appropriate care and management. WHEC Working Group wins our Oscar. It is a testament to the scope of “Women’s Health Education — A Global Community”, which was designed more than two decades ago. This concept is not just innovative, our team is revolutionary, and its long reach is felt throughout the academic world. Here is to the incredible voyage ahead and the fulfillment of a life long quest! A moment to hold forever. It has been said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. Well then, let us accept this challenge. This month, we again bring you our special section on: Education & Health. One discipline informs the other. You will want to read all about UN System. And, as always, be sure to check out WHEC Updates. The aim of the monthly newsletter is to help keep relevant stakeholders informed on the latest developments and events on the road to the Safe Motherhood. We share information with interested members of civil society on human health and related topics as well as promote partnerships to advance the causes of peace, health and security amongst civil society, the UN and wider international community — A Grand Collaboration. Log on now. In 2006, Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) began developing scientifically based practice guidelines / Practice Bulletins. The guidelines are derived from the best available evidence of clinical efficiency and consideration of costs, with recommendations explicitly linked to the evidence. These evidence-based practice guidelines are intended to be a means of improving the quality of healthcare, decreasing its cost, and diminishing professional liability. They are prospective in nature and, therefore, directive in approach. Our writers / editors / physician’s board identifies, evaluate, and synthesize evidence from the medical literature to produce practice guidelines. We invite papers on all the aspects of women’s health of interest to our millions of readers worldwide. The emphasis on evidence-based medicine has taken on new and greater importance as the environment of clinical medicine grows more diverse, with increased access to more information by both physicians and patients and the changing allocation of resources. Practice guidelines are a formal synthesis of evidence, developed according to a rigorous research and review process. Each section is devoted to a particular series. As the practice of medicine evolves, so too do WHEC Practice Bulletins. Your privacy and intellectual property rights are important to us (Frequently Asked Questions). Our goal is to promote excellence in the clinical practice of obstetrics and gynecology and closely related fields. So far … so good. Let us design the infrastructure for — Intelligent Internet! A Timeless Concept Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What needs to be changed and how may such change be brought about by charters, plans and partnerships for everyone’s security and development? Renewing our Thinking: Over the years, the United Nations, governments, civil society and individuals have created countless worthy plans of actions and intended solutions to world issues, increasingly placing them within binding documents and quantifiable frameworks. However experience shows that, no matter how well-intentioned, a technical or political approach to development cannot alone bring about the desire outcome. Development needs the power of individual commitment, collective or national political will, and most importantly, political action. We must continue to make clear, specific, time-bound action plans, and commit to them, but we must remember that in order for them to be realized each of us must support them with spiritual understanding, awareness and practice. Cooperation is facilitated when there is the value of solidarity based on the understanding that the world’s people are but one family of many sisters and brothers, each of whom should be treated as such. The world largely considers poverty as a condition of material poverty and sickness as physical sickness. It is time to recognize the prevalence and effects of spiritual poverty, spiritual illness and spiritual deprivation, among both the materially poor and materially rich. Health is not only a physical condition but one that also involves mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Account must be taken of mental, emotional and spiritual concerns when considering diseases. Education for a culture of values in all aspects of our behavior and relationships is thus of critical importance. Freedom is a concept that takes many guises but surely the greatest of these is freedom of spirit and freedom from one’s own shortcomings and limitations. As a world society, we must include in our education systems content and pedagogy to support development of the larger principles and values that underpin the rule of law, the democratic participation of people in affairs and decisions that concern them and the notion of governance as a form of service. About NGO Association with the UN: The Millennium Declaration, signed by world’s leaders of 189 countries in 2000, established 2015 as the deadline for achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The majority of MDG targets has a baseline of 1990, and is set to monitor achievements over the period 1990-2015. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4: Reduce Child Mortality TARGET: Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. Estimates for 2005 indicate that 10.1 million children died before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes. Though infant and child mortality rates have declined globally, the pace of progress has been uneven across regions and countries. Accelerated improvements are needed most urgently in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia, CIS countries in Asia and in Oceania. Not surprisingly, the lack of progress in child survival has been mirrored by neglect of many basic health services in parts of the developing world. Child survival rates show slow improvement, and are worst in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent surveys show that substantial improvements are possible, though disparities were found in the countries studied. Even in countries that have made good progress (i.e., that have seen a drop of at least 15 per cent in child mortality rates between 1998 and 2004), different patterns are observed. Survival rates have improved at all ages within the five-year span, but in some countries gains were most pronounced during certain periods — for example, in the vulnerable first month of life. Evidence from the latest surveys will be further studied to determine the key interventions necessary to reduce mortality during the various stages of a child’s early life. Changes in the levels of child mortality also show wide differentials according to socio-economic status. In most countries that have made substantial reductions in child mortality in recent years, the largest changes were observed among children living in the richest 40 per cent of households, or in urban areas, or whose mothers have some education. In countries where progress is lagging or where child mortality has increased, AIDS is likely to be a major contributing factor. Malaria, too, continues to kill vast numbers of children. In other countries, war and conflict have been the leading causes of increasing child mortality in the recent past. Vaccinations spur decline in measles and expansion of basic health services: Measles is one of the leading causes of child death among diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. Globally, deaths from measles fell by over 60 per cent between 2000 and 2005 — a major public health success. According to the latest data available, the number of these deaths dropped from 873,000 in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005. The most striking gains were found in Africa, where measles deaths decreased by nearly 75 per cent over the same period — from an estimated 506,000 to 126,000. These achievements are attributed to improved immunization coverage throughout the developing world, as well as immunization campaigns that supplement routine services. While coverage stagnated between 1990 and 1999, immunization has rapidly gained ground since 2000. In sub-Saharan Africa, coverage dipped to 49 per cent in 1999 and increased again to 64 per cent by the end of 2005. This was largely the result of advocacy and support provided by the international Measles Initiative — which targeted 47 priority countries — together with the commitment of the African governments involved. Routine measles immunization serves as a proxy indicator for access to basic health services among children under five. Accelerated activities to control measles are contributing to the development of health infrastructure that supports routine immunization and other health services. Moreover, measles vaccination campaigns have become a channel for delivering other life-saving interventions, such as mosquito nets to protect against malaria, de-worming medicine and vitamin A supplements. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): World Health Day 2008 World Health Day, on 7 April, marks the founding of the World Health Organization and is an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. The theme “protecting health from climate change” puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. WHO selected this theme in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security. Through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide. Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies. Goals of World Health Day 2008: http://www.who.int/world-health-day/goals/en/index.html Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 86, Number 4, April 2008, 241-320 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU-WIDER (World Institute for Development Economics Research) Expert Series on Health Economics: Can We Eradicate Hunger? Overview: World hunger is prevalent yet receives relatively less attention compared to poverty. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have taken a step to address this with the resolution of halving the number of starving people in the world by 2015. A substantial and sustainable reduction in hunger will also greatly improve the chances of meeting the MDGs related to poverty reduction, education, child mortality, maternal health, and disease. Hunger though is not a straightforward problem of producing enough to feed the world’s population; it has many cross-cutting dimensions. This study addresses a combination of economic, social, and political perspectives, drawing upon academic research of the economic factors and the experiences of international organizations and civil society. The first millennium development goal (MDG) is to halve poverty and hunger by 2015. Hunger and malnutrition are major causes of the deprivation and suffering targeted by all of the other MDGs. Without rapid progress in reducing hunger, achieving the other MDGs related to poverty reduction, education, child mortality, maternal health, and disease will be impossible. Nearly 30 per cent of the world’s population is currently suffering from one or more forms of malnutrition. Approximately 840 million people are undernourished or chronically food insecure, and as many as 2.8 million children and 300,000 women die every year because of malnutrition in developing countries. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), if each of the developing regions continues to reduce hunger at the current pace, only South America and the Caribbean will reach the MDG target of cutting the proportion of hungry people by half. None will reach the more ambitious World Food Summit goal of halving the number of hungry people. Despite the scale of human suffering brought about by malnutrition, the fight against world hunger receives less attention than the fight against poverty from bilateral and multilateral donors and lending agencies. A by-product of the lack of attention to food security is that the issue is relatively understudied compared to poverty. The UNU-WIDER research project ‘Hunger and Food Security’, addressed some of these gaps in the literature. It was undertaken in collaboration with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and with research contributions from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project resulted in two books entitled Food Security: Indicators, Measurement, and the Impact of Trade Openness and, Food Insecurity, Vulnerability and Human Rights Failure, both edited by Basudeb Guha-Khasnobis, Shabd S. Acharya and Benjamin Davis, and henceforth referred to as Food Security and Food Insecurity, respectively. (Details of the paper can be accessed from the link of UNU-WIDER on CME Page of WomensHealthSection.com) United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS): NGLS works side by side with UN organizations and secretariats and representatives of global civil society to promote and facilitate constructive and effective UN-civil society engagement. As a result of the strategically important role NGLS played on the civil society interface of the series of UN World Conferences of the 1990s, NGLS has earned the trust of global civil society as an independent and neutral interlocutor and facilitator. NGLS played a vital role as a bridge and coordinator between the UN and civil society in preparation for the historic General Assembly (GA) Hearings with Civil Society and the Private Sector of June 2005 and subsequently in the series of GA Hearings that took place in 2006. Since the early nineties NGLS has managed selection processes and funding that has brought over 7,000 developing-country NGO representatives to global UN events such as World Conferences, Summits and GA Hearings, and has organized many orientation sessions for NGOs new to UN processes. NGLS occupies a truly unique niche and role in UN system-civil society relations and engagements, which has no parallel elsewhere in the global system of intergovernmental international and regional organizations. Working across the UN system and amongst global civil society provides NGLS with an unrivalled experience, information and knowledge base. This provides NGLS with the expertise of UN-civil society relations and practices that underpins the advice and guidance it provides as a neutral interlocutor to the UN system and global civil society. NGLS focuses its activities on four key areas: Executing an extensive communications and information outreach program on the work of the UN system and the activities of civil society. Providing strategic information and advice to the organizations of the UN system and civil society. Helping to build a foundation and framework that supports the United Nations’ effort to interact with civil society. Supporting the efforts of civil society to constructively engage with the United Nations. NGLS receives a grant from the UN regular budget and voluntary funding from a number of UN agencies, programs and funds. Recently NGLS has received financial support from a number of bilateral donors including Canada (CIDA), Finland, Germany, Switzerland and the UK (DFID). NGLS reports to the UN organizations that fund it and to the bilateral donors that provide funding for specific activities. NGLS’s UN Sponsors: UNCTD, UN / DESA, UN / DPI, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, UNHCR, FAO, IFAD, ILO, WFP, UNESCO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, UNEP and WHO. NGLS focuses on all the main issues on the UN agenda, including: Sustainable development and environment; Human rights; Humanitarian emergencies and refugees; Peace and development; Least Developed Countries. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): UNICEF was created in 1946 to help overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. Its work is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child — the most widely accepted human right treaty in the world. UNICEF believes that caring for children and protecting their rights are the cornerstones of human progress. It is engaged in every facet of child health, from birth through adolescence. It works to ensure that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and have children and their mothers are well nourished. It works to prevent the spread of HIV / AIDS among young people, and helps children and families affected by the disease to live with dignity. UNICEF promotes girls’ education because it benefits all children. It relieves suffering during emergencies and wherever children are exposed to violence, abuse or exploitation. As part of the Global Movement for Children, UNICEF encourages young people to speak out and participate in the decisions that affect their lives. In all its work, UNICEF encourages the participation of children and young people. UNICEF is governed by an Executive Board comprising delegates from 36 countries who govern its policies, programs and finances. There are more than 7,000 UNICEF employees working in 158 countries and territories around the world. UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions; its total program expenditure in 2002 were slightly over $ 1 billion. While its strongest support comes from governments, UNICEF also receives considerable aid from the private sector, and from some 6 million individuals who give through National Committees in the industrialized world. In 1965, UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Prize. Its major publication, The State of the World’s Children, is released annually. Headquarter: UNICEF House, 3 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017. United Nations Charter: We the Peoples of the United Nations … United for a Better World (Continued) CHAPTER V THE SECURITY COUNCIL COMPOSITION Article 23 The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. The Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be permanent members of the Security Council. The General Assembly shall elect ten other Members of the United Nations to be non-permanent members of the Security Council, due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization, and also to equitable geographical distribution. The non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be elected for a term of two years. In the first election of the non-permanent members after the increase of the membership of the Security Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the four additional members shall be chosen for a term of one year. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election. Each member of the Security Council shall have one representative. FUNCTIONS and POWERS Article 24 In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Security Council acts on their behalf. In discharging these duties the Security Council shall act in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. The specific powers granted to the Security Council for the discharge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and XII. The Security Council shall submit annual and, when necessary, special reports to the General Assembly for its consideration. Article 25 The Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the present Charter. Article 26 In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources, the Security Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments. VOTING Article 27 Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting. PROCEDURE Article 28 The Security Council shall be so organized as to be able to function continuously. Each member of the Security Council shall for this purpose be represented at all times at the seat of the Organization. The Security Council shall hold periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a member of the government or by some other specially designated representative. The Security Council may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Organization as in its judgment will best facilitate its work. Article 29 The Security Council may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions. Article 30 The Security Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its President. Article 31 Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of that Member are specially affected. Article 32 Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council or any state which is not a Member of the United Nations, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Security Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Security Council shall lay down such conditions as it deems just for the participation of a state which is not a Member of the United Nations. To be continued… Top Two-Articles Accessed in March 2008: Child Abuse — A Universal Challenge; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to World Health Organization and UNICEF for the contributions Staging & Management of Uterine Cancer; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center for the collaboration and support in preparing the document. News, Invitations, and Letters: UNITED NATIONS THE SECRETARY-GENERAL, MESSAGE ON WORLD HEALTH DAY 7 April 2008 Climate change is sometimes debated as if it affected only the planet, and not the people living on it. This year’s World Health Day is an opportunity to broaden this view by spotlighting the major health threats we face as a result of global warming. Climate change endangers the quality and availability of water and food, our fundamental determinants of nutrition and health. It is causing more frequent and more severe storms, heat waves, droughts and floods, while worsening the quality of our air. The result is an upsurge in human suffering caused by injury, disease, malnutrition and death. We need to give voice to this often-overlooked reality, ensuring that protecting human health is anchored at the heart of the global climate change agenda. The impact will be most severe in poor countries, which have contributed least to this global crisis. By 2020, up to a quarter of a billion Africans will experience increased water stress, and crop yields in some African countries are expected to drop by half. Malnutrition and climate-related infectious diseases will take their heaviest toll on the most vulnerable: small children, the elderly and the infirm. Women living in poverty face particular risk when natural disasters and other global-warming related dangers strike. We must do more than decry these circumstances. We must act to ensure that the health of the vulnerable is protected during climate change. This means stepping up efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, from cutting childhood mortality to empowering women, as a central component of the international response to climate change. Public health has decades of experience in dealing effectively with problems that climate change will exacerbate, and we can use this as a basis for predicting — and forestalling — the consequences. Climate change is real, it is accelerating and it threatens all of us. We must respond with urgent action to stabilize the climate, achieve the MDGs, and encourage individual action. Our collective efforts can foster social and economic development for the world’s poorest peoples, improving their health systems and their lives. World Health Day challenges us to join forces in the great effort to combat climate change, for the sake of our planet and all of its inhabitants. Special Thanks: WHEC expresses gratitude to the Academic Partnership Unit / Academic Initiative Section of United Nations for the priceless support. It is indeed an honor and privilege for Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) to improve maternal and child health worldwide with the United Nations. Thanks again for the priceless support. Beyond the numbers… I may not reach the heights I seek, My untried strength may fail me, Or, half way the mountain peak Fierce tempest may assail me, But though that place I never gain Herein lies comfort for my pain I will be worthy of it.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) May 2008; Vol. 3, No. 5 Don’t ever give up on what you believe in. Not once. Not ever. As a longtime admirer of the work of the United Nations and World Health Organization; I was thrilled to participate in the development of e-learning publication: WomensHealthSection.com. What a great way to introduce the next generation about the possibilities and opportunities. And to think it all began…with an idea. This is the age of Internet and this new media has fascinated young and old; rich and poor; men and women. Our spotlight is on: Internet Classrooms to Improve Women’s Health Worldwide. Enjoy your passion for knowledge on the web. This is a timely initiative, and it is very encouraging to see international community with government officials and representatives of the private sector and civil society, are supportive of these efforts. We care about the details. Could it be farther you travel the closer you become! When life feels perfect…..Where to next? In only a few years, the Internet has revolutionized trade, health, education and, indeed, the very fabric of human communication and exchange. Moreover, its potential is far greater than what we have seen in the relatively short time since its creation. In managing, promoting and protecting its presence in our lives, we need to be no less creative than those who invented it. Clearly, there is a need for governance, but that does not necessarily mean that it has to be done in the traditional way, for something that is so very different. Health promotion reaches out to people where they live, work and play. It is essential for health education campaigns to be rooted in the needs of local communities. The issues are numerous, and complex. Even the definition of what we mean by Internet Governance is a subject of debate. But the world has a common interest in ensuring the security and dependability of this new medium. The vision of constructing Internet governance arrangements that are multilateral, transparent and democratic with the full involvement of all stakeholders is a noble challenge. This will require goodwill among all parties, as well as good information on which to base decision. Equally important, we need to develop inclusive and participatory models of governance. The medium must be made accessible and responsive to the needs of all the world’s people. Keep in mind the paramount goal of helping people everywhere, build free and decent lives, is of utmost importance. Whatever you do must contribute to the cause of human development. Governments in the developing world cannot afford to implement expensive, lengthy academic programs. Rather, what is needed are practical courses that give healthcare providers working in underserved areas the competencies they need to enable them to provide skilled health services. Let me assure you the Women’s Health and Education Center’s (WHEC’s) commitment to this effort. Important as it is to address the issues of governance and funding, let us not forget the larger task: implementing the plan of action to benefit both industrialized and developing countries. As the Internet becomes part of the fabric of our lives and as its spread becomes increasingly global, harnessing its full potential may require a re-thinking of how it is should be governed. It is becoming increasingly important to think of inclusive, collaborative approaches that will enhance the Internet’s impact on the achievement of our development goals, and thus improve lives of people everywhere. I wish you every success. Reviewing the Past and Defining the Future Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: Are we wasting our health resources? What is wastage? Under – or Over – utilization of health systems: Efficient health systems provide a maximum of quality healthcare at a minimum cost. Few countries, if any, reach this standard of economic efficiency. Very frequently either expenditure is higher than it should be or the amount and quality of healthcare are lower than they could be for the costs incurred. Inefficiency occurs when the resources used to produce a given result are greater than necessary. Wastage is the careless use or squandering of resources, often in connection with excessive or particularly conspicuous inefficiency. Allocative inefficiency occurs when funds are allocated to urban areas instead of the underserved rural populations, or to tertiary care despite greater needs in primary care. It is seen where the healthcare system does not provide enough for priority diseases or when health facilities are located beyond the reach of the people who need them. Technical inefficiency is found where the costs of providing specific services or goods are higher than necessary. For example, if a health center has been designed and staffed to handle 20,000 visits a year but in fact is only handling 10,000; the cost of each visit is clearly higher than necessary. Wastage by under- or over-utilization of facilities, people, and health inputs is an inadequately studied issue. The small number of careful assessments of the value of “wasted” resources, however, puts them as very large in the health systems of rich and poor countries alike. Spiraling health care costs are causing world wide concerns, and a key component of health sector reform efforts in many countries has to do with making the best use of existing resources. Governments and the public are concerned about waste and inefficiency in the health sector. Although there are likely to be various underlying causes, wastage often results from limited information and from limited accountability for decisions about the use of resources. Corruption and fraud occur where there are conflicting interests in combination with limited accountability. Policy-makers, managers, healthcare providers and service users should feel responsible for ensuring that scarce health resources are used efficiently. They should actively combat wastage by identifying the causes, and then make corresponding changes in policy, management and technical procedures. About NGO Association with the UN: The Millennium Declaration, signed by world’s leaders of 189 countries in 2000, established 2015 as the deadline for achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The majority of MDG targets has a baseline of 1990, and is set to monitor achievements over the period 1990-2015. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5: Improve Maternal Health TARGET: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio. Half a million women continue to die each year during pregnancy or childbirth, almost all of them in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. A number of middle-income countries have made rapid progress in reducing maternal deaths. Nevertheless, maternal mortality levels remain unacceptably high across the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Each year, more than 500,000 women die from treatable or preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth. In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman’s risk of dying from such complications over the course of her lifetime is 1 in 16, compared to 1 in 3,800 in the developed world. Health-care interventions can reduce maternal deaths, but need to be made more widely available: Proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health care personnel, 1990 and 2005 (Percentage). Efforts to reduce maternal mortality need to be tailored to local conditions, since the causes of death vary across developing regions and countries. In Africa and Asia, hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death, while in Latin America and the Caribbean; hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and childbirth pose the greatest threat. Obstructed labor and abortion account for 13 and 12 per cent, respectively, of maternal mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean. In Asia, anemia is a major contributor to maternal deaths, but is a less important cause in Africa and a negligible factor in Latin America. In Africa, particularly parts of Southern Africa, HIV and AIDS are frequently involved in deaths during pregnancy and childbirth. Preventing unplanned pregnancies alone could avert around one quarter of maternal deaths, including those that result from unsafe abortion. Still, an estimated 137 million women have an unmet need for family planning. An additional 64 million women are using traditional methods of contraception with high failure rates. Contraceptive prevalence increased slowly from 55 per cent in 1990 to 64 per cent in 2005, but remains very low in sub-Saharan Africa, at 21 per cent. In addition, in regions where the adolescent birth rate remains high, a large number of young women, particularly very young women, and their children face increased risk of death and disability. In sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, the high adolescent birth rates prevailing in 1990 have not declined significantly, despite continued reductions in total fertility in those regions. No single intervention can address the multiple causes of maternal deaths. The vast majority of maternal deaths and disabilities could be prevented through appropriate reproductive health services before, during and after pregnancy, and through life-saving interventions should complications arise. Attendance at delivery by skilled health personnel (doctors, nurses, midwives) who are trained to detect problems early and can effectively provide or refer women to emergency obstetric care when needed is essential. The regions with the lowest proportions of skilled health attendants at birth are Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which also have the highest numbers of maternal deaths. Disparities in the support available to women during pregnancy and childbirth are evident both among countries and within them. According to surveys conducted between 1996 and 2005 in 57 developing countries, 81 per cent of urban women deliver with the help of a skilled attendant, versus only 49 per cent of their rural counterparts. Similarly, 84 per cent of women who have completed secondary or higher education is attended by skilled personnel during childbirth, more than twice the rate of mothers with no formal education. Antenatal care has long been recognized as a core component of maternal health services. It can help women identify potential risks and plan for a safe delivery. It also can serve as an entry point into the wider health-care system. Since 1990, every region has made progress in ensuring that women receive antenatal care at least once during their pregnancy. Even in sub-Saharan Africa, where the least progress has occurred, more than two thirds of women receive antenatal care at least one time during pregnancy. For antenatal care to be effective, international experts recommend at least four visits to a trained health-care practitioner during pregnancy. However, in many countries, particularly in Africa, there is a large gap between the proportions of women who receive antenatal care at least once compared to those who receive care four or more times. In Kenya, for example, in 2003, 87 per cent of women received antenatal care at least once, while only 51 per cent received care the recommended four times. Similarly, women in Madagascar were twice as likely to receive antenatal care at least once rather than four or more times. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): Governance of the World Health Organization The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body for WHO. It generally meets in Geneva in May each year, and is attended by delegations from all 193 Member States. Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization. The Health Assembly appoints the Director-General, supervises the financial policies of the Organization, and reviews and approves the Proposed programme budget. It similarly considers reports of the Executive Board, which it instructs in regard to matters upon which further action, study, investigation or report may be required. The Executive Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health. Members are elected for three-year terms. The main Board meeting, at which the agenda for the forthcoming Health Assembly is agreed upon and resolutions for forwarding to the Health Assembly are adopted, is held in January, with a second shorter meeting in May, immediately after the Health Assembly, for more administrative matters. The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work. The Secretariat of WHO is staffed by some 8000 health and other experts and support staff on fixed-term appointments, working at headquarters, in the six regional offices, and in countries. The Organization is headed by the Director-General, who is appointed by the Health Assembly on the nomination of the Executive Board. WHO Governance: http://www.who.int/governance/en/ Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 86, Number 5, May 2008, 321-416 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU-WIDER (World Institute for Development Economics Research) Expert Series on Health Economics Entrepreneurial Ventures and the Developmental State: Lessons from the Advanced Economies (Discussion Paper) A basic intellectual challenge for those concerned with the poverty of nations is to come to grips with the nature and causes of the wealth of the world’s wealthier nations. One might then be in a position to inform the poorer nations how they might achieve similar outcomes. This paper is organized around what I call ‘the theory of innovative enterprise’, a perspective derived from the historical and comparative study of the development of the advanced economies. The theory of innovative enterprise provides the essential analytical link between entrepreneurship and development. Section 2 offers, as a point of departure, a contrast between entrepreneurship in rich and poor nations. Section 3 outlines the theory of the innovating firm in which entrepreneurship has a role to play. Section 4 identifies the roles of entrepreneurship in new firm formation in terms of the types of strategy, organization, and finance that innovation requires, and emphasizes the ‘disappearance’ of entrepreneurship with the growth of the firm. In Section 5 I argue that, in the advanced economies, successful entrepreneurship in knowledge intensive industries has depended heavily upon a combination of business allocation of resources to innovative investment strategies, and government investment in the knowledge base, state sponsored protection of markets and intellectual property rights, and state subsidies to support these business strategies. One cannot understand national economic development without understanding the role of the developmental state. At the same time, the specific agenda and ultimate success of the developmental state cannot be understood in abstraction from the dynamics of innovative enterprise. It is through the interaction of the innovative enterprise and the developmental state that entrepreneurial activity inserts itself into the economic system to contribute to the process of economic development. Publisher: UNU-WIDER; Volume: 2008/01. Authors: William Lazonick; Key words: entrepreneurship, innovative enterprise, developmental state (Details of the paper can be accessed from the link of UNU-WIDER on CME Page of WomensHealthSection.com) United Nations Charter: We the Peoples of the United Nations …. United for a Better World (Continued) CHAPTER VI PACIFIC SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES Article 33 The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice. The Security Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon the parties to settle their dispute by such means. Article 34 The Security Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security. Article 35 Any Member of the United Nations may bring any dispute, or any situation of the nature referred to in Article 34, to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly. A state which is not a Member of the United Nations may bring to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly any dispute to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the purposes of the dispute, the obligations of pacific settlement provided in the present Charter. The proceedings of the General Assembly in respect of matters brought to its attention under this Article will be subject to the provisions of Articles 11 and 12. Article 36 The Security Council may, at any stage of a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33 or of a situation of like nature, recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment. The Security Council should take into consideration any procedures for the settlement of the dispute which have already been adopted by the parties. In making recommendations under this Article the Security Council should also take into consideration that legal disputes should as a general rule be referred by the parties to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Court. Article 37 Should the parties to a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33 fail to settle it by the means indicated in that Article, they shall refer it to the Security Council. If the Security Council deems that the continuance of the dispute is in fact likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, it shall decide whether to take action under Article 36 or to recommend such terms of settlement as it may consider appropriate. Article 38 Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Security Council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific settlement of the dispute. CHAPTER VII ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THREATS TO THE PEACE, BREACHES OF THE PEACE, AND ACTS OF AGGRESSION Article 39 The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security. Article 40 In order to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council may, before making the recommendations or deciding upon the measures provided for in Article 39, call upon the parties concerned to comply with such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or position of the parties concerned. The Security Council shall duly take account of failure to comply with such provisional measures. Article 41 The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations. Article 42 Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations. Article 43 All Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to make available to the Security Council, on its call and in accordance with a special agreement or agreements, armed forces, assistance, and facilities, including rights of passage, necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security. Such agreement or agreements shall govern the numbers and types of forces, their degree of readiness and general location, and the nature of the facilities and assistance to be provided. The agreement or agreements shall be negotiated as soon as possible on the initiative of the Security Council. They shall be concluded between the Security Council and Members or between the Security Council and groups of Members and shall be subject to ratification by the signatory states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. Article 44 When the Security Council has decided to use force it shall, before calling upon a Member not represented on it to provide armed forces in fulfillment of the obligations assumed under Article 43, invite that Member, if the Member so desires, to participate in the decisions of the Security Council concerning the employment of contingents of that Member’s armed forces. Article 45 In order to enable the United Nations to take urgent military measures, Members shall hold immediately available national air-force contingents for combined international enforcement action. The strength and degree of readiness of these contingents and plans for their combined action shall be determined within the limits laid down in the special agreement or agreements referred to in Article 43, by the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee. Article 46 Plans for the application of armed force shall be made by the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee. Article 47 There shall be established a Military Staff Committee to advise and assist the Security Council on all questions relating to the Security Council’s military requirements for the maintenance of international peace and security, the employment and command of forces placed at its disposal, the regulation of armaments, and possible disarmament. The Military Staff Committee shall consist of the Chiefs of Staff of the permanent members of the Security Council or their representatives. Any Member of the United Nations not permanently represented on the Committee shall be invited by the Committee to be associated with it when the efficient discharge of the Committee’s responsibilities requires the participation of that Member in its work. The Military Staff Committee shall be responsible under the Security Council for the strategic direction of any armed forces placed at the disposal of the Security Council. Questions relating to the command of such forces shall be worked out subsequently. The Military Staff Committee, with the authorization of the Security Council and after consultation with appropriate regional agencies, may establish regional sub-committees. Article 48 The action required to carry out the decisions of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security shall be taken by all the Members of the United Nations or by some of them, as the Security Council may determine. Such decisions shall be carried out by the Members of the United Nations directly and through their action in the appropriate international agencies of which they are members. Article 49 The Members of the United Nations shall join in affording mutual assistance in carrying out the measures decided upon by the Security Council. Article 50 If preventive or enforcement measures against any state are taken by the Security Council, any other state, whether a Member of the United Nations or not, which finds itself confronted with special economic problems arising from the carrying out of those measures shall have the right to consult the Security Council with regard to a solution of those problems. Article 51 Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security. To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in April 2008: Urodynamic Assessment: Patient Evaluation & Equipment; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to the writers/editors/physicians for their contributions in preparing the series on urodynamic assessment. Urodynamic Assessment: Cystometry; WHEC Publications. Special thanks to the writers/editors/physicians for their contributions in preparing the series on urodynamic assessment. News, Invitations and Letters: The Nobel Peace Prize The United Nations: Formally Recognized and Recognized by Association The Nobel prizes, awarded in five different areas, one of which is peace, came into existence upon the death in 1896 of Alfred Nobel, whose trust fund called for bestowing prizes each year on those who have “conferred the greatest benefit on mankind”. First awarded in 1901, the prizes are closely linked to the history of modern science, the arts and political development. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, in its 107 years of existence has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to United Nations agencies and staff ten times. Before 1914, the Nobel Committee credited, in particular, efforts at legislation and arbitration leading to peace, especially in connection with the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907, and it awarded the Prize to a number of representatives of popular peace movements and international legal tradition, such as Frederic Passy of France (1901), one of the principal founders of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and former Belgian Prime Minister August Beernaert (1909), a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. 1945: Former United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his prominent role as a senior member of the American delegation in the creation of the United Nations. 1949: Lord Boyd Orr, a British scientist and founding Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, was honored with Nobel Prize for his efforts to employ scientific discoveries to “promote cooperation between nations”. 11 December 1950: Ralph Bunche becomes the first United Nations Nobel Peace Laureate. 1951: The Nobel Prize went to Leon Jouhaux of France, a leader in the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions who had helped found the International Labor Organization in 1919. 1957: Former Canadian Secretary of State Lester Bowles Pearson, who served as the President of the seventh session of the UN General Assembly, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957, primarily for his efforts to end the Suez conflict and resolve the Middle East question through the United Nations. 1963: On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Red Cross, the Prize was awarded jointly to two major arms of the Red Cross movement: the Swiss International Committee of the Red Cross and the International League of Red Cross Societies. 1965: The United Nations was honored in 1965—for the fourth time—when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for playing a vital role in fostering “the brotherhood among nations and the furtherance of peace”. This award was a recognition of the vital role UNICEF has carved for itself in the pursuit of basic human needs and rights of all children. 1968: The Peace Prize went to René Cassin, President of the European Court for Human Rights and, as one of the foremost legal scholars, a principal drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. 1974: The Nobel Peace Prize went to Sean MacBride of Ireland, who founded in 1961 the non-governmental human rights organization Amnesty International, which also received the Prize in 1977. Elected to the Office of United Nations Commissioner for Namibia by the UN General Assembly, MacBride served as Commissioner, with rank of Assistant Secretary-General, from 1973 to 1977. 1982: The Nobel Peace Prize went jointly to Alva Myrdal of Sweden and Alfonso Garcia Robles of Mexico for their efforts in disarmament, much of which was done under various UN negotiations. 12 October 2001: Norwegian Nobel Committee decides to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001, in two equal portions, to the United Nations and its Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for their work for a better, organized and more peaceful world. It is the eighth Peace Prize awarded to the UN system. 7 October 2005: Nobel Peace Prizes awarded for the ninth time to the UN system. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, are cited for their efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes. 12 October 2007: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) won the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with former United States Vice-President Al Gore. The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to recognize the problem of the increasing global warming. With the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, the IPCC joins the following UN officials and bodies as Nobel laureates: UN mediator Ralph Bunche in 1950; the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1954 and again in 1981; UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961; the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 1965;  the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1969; the UN Peacekeeping Forces in 1988; the United Nations and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2001; and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2005. http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2007/webArticles/101907_nobel_prize_ipcc.html Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, Given Foundation Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center for his priceless support, friendship and contributions. It is indeed a pleasure and privilege for everyone at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) to work with your group. We all are looking forward to plan and develop many useful projects/programs in women’s health. Thanks again for everything. Beyond the numbers… He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the finest view of them.Read More

A Newsletter of worldwide activity of Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) August 2007; Vol. 2, No. 8 Publications are like people, in that, some have high impact and some are not. When someone requests us to publish his or her work in WomensHealthSection.com and / or WHEC Update, we try to make the experience a happy one. We do not intrude or change more than absolutely necessary. Words we dislike to hear from the writers / editors around the world: “I want to publish my work in WomensHealthSection.com but I do not know anyone there”. It is time to repeat the following: You do not have to know anyone at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) to have your work seen by us. We see and read everything. If there is a reason to believe a work or research is right for WomensHealthSection.com or WHEC Update, I will personally see the work and accommodate reasonable requests. We do not change the message. We report. We love publishing ground-breaking medical research in women’s health and healthcare, and we hope you love it too. I look forward to discovering what I can do to help our fragile planet. It is urgent and vital that we consider public space to be a public good. You do not have to be a politician or a billionaire to help a fellow citizen. In the end, simple acts of humanity and justice can change the world. Leadership is not a mysterious art practiced by only a select few – it is the daily response of every man and woman who wishes to make a positive difference in the world and make it a little bit better place as a result of their efforts. Let us start from what they know, and build on what they have. Currently there is a worldwide effort to reduce maternal mortality in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. In countries where the prevalence of obstetric fistulae is high, all curricula for trainee midwives, nurses, and physicians should include not only theoretical training on obstetric fistula prevention but also treatment. Epidemiologic research is urgently needed to identify communities with a high prevalence of fistulas and to determine the characteristics of women at high risk for bladder or urethral injury during childbirth. Our publications draw attention to the urgent issue of obstetric fistulae in the developing world and advocate for change. They provide essential, factual back-ground information along with guiding principles for clinical management and program development. We hope to contribute to the development of more effective services for women under treatment for fistula repair. We hope to motivate future research that will further enhance the understanding of reproductive health. We will only be able to attain the MDGs and reduce crushing poverty that is debilitating the lives of billions of people across this planet if we pool our resources and efforts for the common good of humanity. A global partnership for development must ensure win-win conditions for the rich and the poor alike. The Capacity to Care Rita Luthra, MD Your Questions, Our Reply: What are your views on gender testing and gender selection? How is WHEC addressing this issue in China, India and other developing countries where boy children are preferred? Sex Selection: The low value given to women and girls in some countries is reflected in a marked preference for boy children. The practice of female infanticide has also been documented in some places. Over the decades, this has translated into many practices that heavily discriminate against girls, such as neglect in feeding, education and health care. Over the last decade, the ratio of girls to boys in the 0 – 6 year age group has become increasingly skewed in a number of countries. For instance, India’s census revealed that the juvenile (0 – 6 years) sex ratio declined from 945 girls per 1,000 boys in 1991 to 927 in 2001, with some of the steepest declines occurring among the better educated and in economically better-off districts that also have greater access to commercial health services. Rapidly declining fertility and the trend to limit families to one or two children has increased desire of couples to have a boy. National records on sex ratio at birth in China and South Korea have shown similar rapid changes that are unlikely to be sustainable in the long term. The emergence and increased availability of ultrasound equipment, which can detect the sex of fetus early in pregnancy, has opened up the opportunity for the commercial use of medical technology to pre-select and terminate pregnancies of female fetuses, thus reinforcing the devaluation of girls and women. This is a conundrum which cannot be resolved by focusing only on medical technology. The most severely affected countries such as China, India and South Korea have all banned prenatal sex determination through use of ultrasound or pre-conception techniques. Such policies have so far been largely ineffective because demand continues to be high. Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) with various NGOs and civil society organizations are currently involved in large-scale awareness and sensitization campaigns and in organizing a broader social debate on the devaluation of females and the consequences of sex preference. Join us in our mission. About NGO Association with the UN: Chairpersons of UN Committees and their views on various issues: Tiina Intelmann, the Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations, was elected Chair of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly on 8 June 2006. Her views on some of the issues on the agenda of Second Committee: In terms of trade and development, where do you think the United Nations has been most effective and where does it have the greatest potential to obtain results? The issue of trade is very complicated, especially since the suspension of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha round [these negotiations, aimed at increasing economic growth by lowering trade barriers worldwide, reportedly broke down because developed countries could not agree on dismantling their agricultural subsidies]. There have even been discussions as to whether we should still try to work things out and improve multilateral mechanisms, or aim at regional mechanisms, or just go bilateral. It is still clear that WTO is the central pillar of the international trading system and that a well-functioning international trading system would greatly contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. I think it is not only the faith and understanding of Burkina Faso that we should have a multilateral framework, but I think it is the understanding of all of us, and we are trying to work towards it. Of course, it is very difficult. Trade liberalization is a very difficult issue and it is not only a North-South issue, it is also a South-South issue. How were higher oil prices worldwide reflected in the Second Committee and what were some of the energy issues discussed? Energy has become a very important topic. Oil prices are fluctuating; they were at a very high point during summer and now they have gone down a little bit. Oil prices go up and down, but we should also find a way to use other energy sources. We had a panel discussion on energy security where experts talked about solar energy and other alternative energy sources. This is a concern that we all have, because we cannot rely only on oil, and as we proceed I think more and more countries will pay attention to this fact. It also relates to climate change. A recent report published in Great Britain showed that climate change is not only about the air we breathe and the melting glaciers in faraway places. Climate change has very serious economic and financial implications. The report said that if we don’t address this issue now we are going to face tremendous costs in the future. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Message on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People — 9 August 2007: By resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the UN General Assembly decided to observe 9 August as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People every year during the First International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1994 -2004). In 2004, by resolution 59/174 of 20 December 2004, the Assembly proclaimed the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (2005 – 2014) and decided to continue observing the Day every year during the Second Decade. This year’s observance will be devoted to honoring indigenous youth, languages and sacred sites. The United Nations commemoration in New York is organized by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the NGO Committee on the Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. “Recently, the international community has grown increasingly aware of the need to support indigenous people — by establishing and promoting international standards; vigilantly upholding respect for their human rights; integrating the international development agenda, including the Millennium Development Goals, in policies, programs and country-level projects; and reinforcing indigenous peoples’ special stewardship on issues related to the environment and climate change. Our fast-paced world requires us to act with urgency in addressing these issues. As we do, let us be guided by the fundamental principle of indigenous peoples’ full and effective participation. Let us give life to “Partnership in action and dignity” — the theme given by the General Assembly to this Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. On this International Day, let this be our motto and inspiration.” Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): An examination of the nexus of security, insecurity and health shows that security is a prerequisite for health. The many and varied ways that armed violence – including threats of armed violence – can affect people’s health and can be documented by formal studies; however, valuable data also exist in other reports, such as media reports. The health community needs to recognize that people’s insecurity is a massive global health issue. The foreign policies of donor governments should incorporate recognition that documentation, analysis and publication of data describing the impact of insecurity on people’s health can lead to the creation of policies to enhance people’s security. In contexts of poor security, public health interventions and the delivery of health care to the individual are more difficult to perform and less likely to succeed than in contexts of security. Violence – including the threat of violence – in such contexts results in injury, death, psychological harm, impaired development or deprivation. The primary purpose of the United Nations is to hold responsibility for a third level of security: international or global peace and security. Human Development Report 2005, Details: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/pdf/hdr05_summary.pdf (pdf) Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Volume 85, Number 8, August 2007, 569-648 Table of contents Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Researching Conflict in Africa: Insights and Experiences. Parts of Africa experience violence and seemingly intractable conflicts. These violent conflicts have drawn researchers seeking to determine and explain why conflicts have drawn researchers seeking to determine and explain why conflicts are prevalent, what makes them intensify, and how conflicts can be resolved. This book examines the ethical and practical issues of researching within violent and divided societies. It provides fascinating and factual case studies from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa. The authors provide insights about researching conflict in Africa that can only be gained through fieldwork experience. Publishing Agency: United Nations University (UNU). (http://www.oecd.org/dev/aeo) Point of View: PIERS (Pre-eclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk for mothers) – validation across conditions and clinical settings. Worldwide, pre-eclampsia (‘toxemia of pregnancy’) is a common cause for women to die during or shortly after pregnancy; at least one woman dies from pre-eclampsia every seven minutes. It is also the most common reason for babies who are otherwise doing well to be delivered prematurely to protect maternal health and safety. In many ways pre-eclampsia is similar to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (‘sepsis’). Hitherto, the management of pre-eclampsia was guided by expert opinions not based on firm evidence. Therefore, the requirement is a clinical prediction model that accurately identifies a women’s risk for adverse outcomes, thereby reducing the risk for women while safely prolonging pregnancies remote from term (to improve fetal outcomes). This project is part of an integrated strategy to better understand and modify the mechanisms of disease in pre-eclampsia. We have surveyed Canadian practice, undertaken feasibility and pilot studies for this project, and, in the first 3 years of this project, developed an outcome prediction model that effectively identifies those women at risk for adverse outcomes. In so doing, we have found that instituting assessment and surveillance guidelines is associated with improved maternal outcomes in women with pre-eclampsia (Obstet Gynecol 2007). We have determined that many of the current criteria for ‘severe’ disease do not identify women at greatest risk (Hypertens Pregnancy [in press]). To validate the PIERS model we will recruit women in Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia who are admitted to a hospital (i) pre-eclampsia or (ii) other forms of pregnancy hypertension. We will also validate the model in general obstetric, rather than high risk, units. A further ‘mini-PIERS model’ has also been developed, and will be validated in Developing World settings (Uganda, South Africa, and Fiji) and will be used to identify those women who require transfer to higher level maternity care. Mini-PIERS has the support of the UNDP / UNFPA / WHO / World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development & Research Training in Human Reproduction. Both the full PIERS and mini-PIERS models will be used clinically (to guide management) and in research (in both clinical trials and basic science research), and will provide an evidence base on which to build future practice, improving outcomes for pregnant women and their babies. By Dr. Peter von Dadelszen Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues By 2005, ensure development and accelerated implementation of national strategies for women’s empowerment, promotion and protection of women’s full enjoyment of all human rights and reduction of their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS through the elimination of all forms of discrimination, as well as all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful traditional and customary practices, abuse, rape and other forms of sexual violence, battering and trafficking in women and girls; Reducing vulnerability The vulnerable must be given priority in the response Empowering women is essential for reducing vulnerability By 2003, in order to complement prevention programs that address activities which place individuals at risk of HIV infection, such as risky and unsafe sexual behavior and injecting drug use, have in place in all countries strategies, policies and programs that identify and begin to address those factors that make individuals particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, including underdevelopment, economic insecurity, poverty, lack of empowerment of women, lack of education, social exclusion, illiteracy, discrimination, lack of information and/or commodities for self-protection, all types of sexual exploitation of women, girls and boys, including for commercial reasons; such strategies, policies and programs should address the gender dimension of the epidemic, specify the action that will be taken to address vulnerability and set targets for achievement; By 2003, develop and/or strengthen strategies, policies and programs, which recognize the importance of the family in reducing vulnerability, inter alia, in educating and guiding children and take account of cultural, religious and ethical factors, to reduce the vulnerability of children and young people by: ensuring access of both girls and boys to primary and secondary education, including on HIV/AIDS in curricula for adolescents; ensuring safe and secure environments, especially for young girls; expanding good quality youth-friendly information and sexual health education and counseling service; strengthening reproductive and sexual health programs; and involving families and young people in planning, implementing and evaluating HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs, to the extent possible; By 2003, develop and/or strengthen national strategies, policies and programs, supported by regional and international initiatives, as appropriate, through a participatory approach, to promote and protect the health of those identifiable groups which currently have high or increasing rates of HIV infection or which public health information indicates are at greatest risk of and most vulnerable to new infection as indicated by such factors as the local history of the epidemic, poverty, sexual practices, drug using behavior, livelihood, institutional location, disrupted social structures and population movements forced or otherwise; Children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS Children orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS need special assistance By 2003, develop and by 2005 implement national policies and strategies to: build and strengthen governmental, family and community capacities to provide a supportive environment for orphans and girls and boys infected and affected by HIV/AIDS including by providing appropriate counseling and psycho-social support; ensuring their enrolment in school and access to shelter, good nutrition, health and social services on an equal basis with other children; to protect orphans and vulnerable children from all forms of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, trafficking and loss of inheritance; Ensure non-discrimination and full and equal enjoyment of all human rights through the promotion of an active and visible policy of de-stigmatization of children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS; Urge the international community, particularly donor countries, civil society, as well as the private sector to complement effectively national programs to support programs for children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in affected regions, in countries at high risk and to direct special assistance to sub-Saharan Africa; Alleviating social and economic impact To address HIV/AIDS is to invest in sustainable development By 2003, evaluate the economic and social impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and develop multisectoral strategies to: address the impact at the individual, family, community and national levels; develop and accelerate the implementation of national poverty eradication strategies to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on household income, livelihoods, and access to basic social services, with special focus on individuals, families and communities severely affected by the epidemic; review the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS at all levels of society especially on women and the elderly, particularly in their role as caregivers and in families affected by HIV/AIDS and address their special needs; adjust and adapt economic and social development policies, including social protection policies, to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on economic growth, provision of essential economic services, labor productivity, government revenues, and deficit-creating pressures on public resources; By 2003, develop a national legal and policy framework that protects in the workplace the rights and dignity of persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and those at the greatest risk of HIV/AIDS in consultation with representatives of employers and workers, taking account of established international guidelines on HIV/AIDS in the workplace; Research and development With no cure for HIV/AIDS yet found, further research and development is crucial Increase investment and accelerate research on the development of HIV vaccines, while building national research capacity especially in developing countries, and especially for viral strains prevalent in highly affected regions; in addition, support and encourage increased national and international investment in HIV/AIDS-related research and development including biomedical, operations, social, cultural and behavioral research and in traditional medicine to: improve prevention and therapeutic approaches; accelerate access to prevention, care and treatment and care technologies for HIV/AIDS (and its associated opportunistic infections and malignancies and sexually transmitted diseases), including female controlled methods, and in particular, appropriate, safe and affordable HIV vaccines and their delivery, and to diagnostics, tests, methods to prevent mother-to-child transmission; and improve our understanding of factors which influence the epidemic and actions which address it, inter alias, through increased funding and public/private partnerships; create a conducive environment for research and ensure that it is based on highest ethical standards; To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in July 2007: Surgical Management of Lower Urinary Tract Fistulas; WHEC Publication. Special thanks to WHO for the assistance, and the World Health Report 2005: Make Every Mother and Child Count. Renal Disorders and Pregnancy; Author: Dr. Jonathan Slater, Pioneer Valley Nephrology, Springfield, MA (USA). News, Invitations and Letters: THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE ON WORLD POPULATION DAY -11 July 2007: The theme of this year’s World Population Day – men as partners for maternal health – focuses attention on the fundamental role of men in supporting women’s rights, including their right to sexual and reproductive health. Today, more than half a million women die each year during pregnancy and childbirth, 99 per cent of them in developing countries. Many more suffer serious complications that can have a severe impact on the quality of life for women and their families. Almost all of this death and suffering is preventable. As partners for maternal health, men can save lives. They play a decisive role in many respects. Husbands often make decisions about family planning and the use of household resources that influence the well-being and prospect of the whole family. The support of an informed husband improves pregnancy and childbirth outcomes and can mean the difference between life and death in cases of complications, when women need immediate medical care. And supportive fathers can play an important role in the love, care and nurturance of their children. Far too many women die during pregnancy and childbirth because their right to sexual and reproductive health is denied. The alarming spread of HIV among women is a tragic reminder that in many places, women do not have the power to protect their own health. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of her life. When she is healthy, she can be more productive. And when her reproductive rights are promoted and protected, she has freedom to participate fully and equally in society. Several countries have succeeded in significantly reducing maternal death rates in the space of a decade, when women gained access to family planning, midwives and backup emergency obstetric care. However, much more needs to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of improving maternal health around the world by 2015. Partnering with men is an important strategy for advancing reproductive health and rights. And gender equality, another Millennium Development Goal, is most likely to be achieved when men recognize that the lives of men and women are interdependent and that the empowerment of women benefits everyone. On this World Population Day, let us all encourage men to become partners and agents for change, supporting human rights and safe motherhood in every way possible, thus contributing to creating a world of greater health and opportunity for all. Children Turn to the Canvas with Witty and Sobering Art to Empower Action on Climate Change. United Nations Environment Programme Honors Winners of its 16th International Children’s Painting Competition – World Environment Day 2007 http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=506&ArticleID=5592&l=en Ethics in Action: The Ethical Challenge of International Human Rights Nongovernmental Organizations. Edited by Daniel A. Bell and Jean-Marc Coicaud, Reviewed by Mark Gibney. It would certainly appear that participants in these sessions upon which the book is based learned an enormous amount from the enterprise itself. But Ethics in Action should prove to be very useful to others as well. For one thing, the exercise of raising the most elementary question that all International Non Governmental Organizations (INGOs) should face-how and why do we do what we do?-is something that is seemingly not asked often enough. This might also lead to another seldom asked question, which relates to the proliferation of INGOs. Is this such a “good thing”, or is proliferation an indication that more time, effort and money are spent on propping up one’s organization, but at the expense of “others”? Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2007/issue1/0107p46.htm Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Mr. David Lazarus, Chief, United Nations Information Services, UN ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) for the priceless support. Thanks for the friendship. Beyond the numbers… Together we can build a poverty-free world. Poverty is not created by the impoverished – it has been created and sustained by the economic and social system that we have designed for ourselves, the institutions and concepts that make up that system – and the policies that we pursue.Read More