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 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) 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 2007; Vol. 2, No. 3 In reality, reproductive health is a union between social sciences and medical sciences. The world has publicly acknowledged that health and well-being, and equality and equality, for women are important ends in themselves. The balance between resources and population, development and sustainability concerns people. This is the beginning of the paradigm shift – from maternal and child health to reproductive health. Many issues can be compressed within reproductive health concern. In our e-learning publication: WomensHealthSection.com, we have provided the diversity and breadth of these issues to achieve proper balance between social sciences and medical sciences. Reproductive health reflects health in childhood and sets the stage for health even beyond reproductive years for both women and men. It affects and is affected by the broader context of people’s lives, their economic circumstances, education, employment, living conditions, family-environment, social and gender relationships, and traditional and legal structures within which people live. In WomensHealthSection.com we have focused on five core areas of reproductive health: childbearing; fertility regulation; maintenance of a healthy reproductive system; sexuality and sexual behavior; and the social-cultural context within which reproductive health behavior and ill-health takes place. The tools of our profession have changed – technology has enabled us to diagnose diseases early and in many cases prevent them that we could not have done before. Computers have liberated us from boxes and have allowed us in many ways to serve our patients. The ease of communication via internet has made it possible to be influenced by cultures in every corner of the world. Fine words, and even legislation, are not enough – implementation is the key. We must work to build momentum for a sustained and multifaceted national and international effort. There are no strangers at Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) – only the friends you have not met. A Vision of Hope In Memory of a Friend, Victoria A. White (1956-2007): I met Victoria 5 years ago when Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) undertook the project – e-learning publication, WomensHealthSection.com. To have a friend share this experience provides us with profound wisdom and insights. I have spent many Friday afternoons in her office working with her and her incredible team on this publication. I have laughed and cried many times, her courage and wisdom was an inspiration to me. To be with Victoria was a gift of friendship and insight, courage and generosity. We all have a teacher or a colleague, someone patient and wise, who understood you when you were searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For me, that person was Victoria, a friend. She asked me the first and the only question, when I discussed this e-learning project with her – What would your website like to do? I hope this brings happiness and goodwill in the world; we hope to make a difference. We will miss you. Rita Luthra, MD President Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) Your Questions, Our Reply: Is contracting-approach to public health and privatization same? Can it improve relations between fund-holders and health service providers, and improve health systems? Contracting and Public Health: The delivery of healthcare in almost every country involves some form of public-private partnership. Within a health system, large-scale use of contracting almost automatically involves forms of regulations. We believe that by drawing up national policies on contracting, it will be possible to address all its facets and to determine sound guidelines and strategies, which will be taken up by all those involved in healthcare. Contracting is a tool that formalizes the relationships and obligations between the different actors in health system, though it is not clearly limited to health. While contracting has been used to specify the relationships between government and the private sector, its potential uses are much broader. The overall aim is to improve health system performance by clearly specifying the obligations and expectations of different actors in the health systems. There is a huge untapped potential of contracting in public health, as well as the risks and pitfalls. If poorly implemented, contracting may harm health systems performance, but if managed well, the benefits can be immense. Contracting is used more and more to formalize the relationships between different levels of government. The idea of contracting has been gaining increasing attention among both donor agencies and governments, and recognizes the potential value of contracting to improve health system performance. Contracting is increasingly being used to enhance the performance of health systems in both developed and developing countries. In recent years the way health systems are organized has changed significantly. To remedy the under-performance of their health systems, most countries have undertaken reforms that have resulted in major institutions overhaul, including decentralization of health and administrative services, autonomy for public service providers, separation of funding bodies and service providers, expansion of health financing options and the development of the profit or non-profit private sector. An example of Public-Private partnership: the ministry of health may decide that it will no longer provide certain services and instead will use the funds at its disposal to purchase those services from providers. Several countries in Latin America (Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Peru) have drawn up contracts with NGOs to extend health coverage or to improve the quality of care. In the countries where health financing passes through autonomous or private insurance systems, contracting is used to define the relations between these insurance bodies and the service providers. These relations cover rates, reimbursement arrangements, customer care and quality of care. Alliances lie at the heart of “working together”. The success of agreements requires the active participation of the partners as well as understanding between resources, technology and know-how. Contracting is thus actually much broader and richer than the notion of “contract” in the legal sense of the word. Contracting should not be reduced to a mere management tool used to cut health costs. It is an approach that should lead the various participants to offer to the public health services that are increasingly efficient, effective, superior and fair. Contracting in health systems is extremely diverse in the terms of types of participants that use it, the types of contractual relationships that are established and the purposes thereof. However, one must never lose sight of the fact that contracting is a tool that should be evaluated on the basis of its impact on the performance of a health system, and ultimately on people’s health. About NGO Association with the UN: Third Committee: Social, Humanitarian and Cultural – the Third Committee deals with myriad topics related to social development, advancement of women, international drug control and human rights issues. Delegates meet, discuss and debate these issues and work to forge resolutions that enjoy unanimous support, or if this is not possible can be voted upon. Social development is a critical factor in making poverty reduction effective and sustainable. The promotion of social development at the international level implies the total fulfillment of the commitments by the countries in various conferences and summits. Certainly there is relationship between globalization and human rights, but not all human rights are affected by globalization. Globalization could have both positive and negative aspects. Governments are responsible to protect human rights under their jurisdiction, and if they fail to do so, then there is a legitimate concern for the international community to deal with it. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Instruments: WHO defines Quality of Life as individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and their relationship to salient features of their environment. Strengths of the WHOQOL instruments can be accessed at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/68.pdf (pdf) Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Proposals for new publications: UNU Press accepts a limited number of proposals for new titles from scholars of international issues facing the United Nations and its member states; UNU Press publishes mostly in the fields of peace and governance, environmental and sustainable development, and economic and technological development. UNU Press books reflect the issues and experiences of a broad number of countries or regions and individual countries. They ideally contain clear learning points or policy recommendations applicable beyond the scope of individual topics or locations. A typical book is 100,000 words. Rights for reprints and translations are available at very generous terms for the reproduction and/or translation of UNU Press titles. Point of View: Promoting home-testing for HIV in developing countries: benefits and concerns The increasing prevalence and incidence of HIV has been a global concern. A bigger concern would be the existing lack of awareness among the people, especially in the developing countries, which may result in errors in HIV reporting. Hence expanding our options that may help in increasing the HIV awareness in the developing countries is the need of the hour and one such option that needs to be explored is promoting the use of home-testing kits for HIV. Two frequently observed reasons for people avoiding the HIV counseling sessions are limited availability of HIV testing services and the social stigma and discrimination that is associated with the disease (1). Home-testing helps in overcoming these barriers by offering advantages such as privacy and ease of use. People living in remote areas do not have to travel far-off places to get tested and people do not have to worry about busy clinics and in some cases, the physician’s reluctance to test. It may thus help more and more people in knowing about their HIV status and thus may result in behavior modifications and promoting safer sex practices. However, to maximize its benefits, it is important to provide pre-test and post-test counseling services. Counseling may help in increasing awareness, may help in discussing the possibilities of false positive/false-negative results and may also provide the much-needed emotional support in cases with a positive test. Also, its proper implementation in developing countries needs some social and political transformations such as laws that prevent the possibility of abuse (sending blood sample of a person without his knowledge). It is possible that women may end up at higher risk of domestic violence and social harassment, and hence more research in this area and better laws for protection of these women will be required. Although home testing may not provide a final solution, a well-designed comprehensive strategy in combination with voluntary counseling and testing may help in increasing awareness, thereby decreasing the prevalence rates. By Sumesh Kachroo, MS Doctoral Student, University of Texas School of Public Health Houston, Texas, USA References: Kachroo S. Promoting self-testing for HIV in developing countries: potential benefits and pitfalls. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2006 Dec; 84(12): 999-1000. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action”: series continues Recognizing that poverty, underdevelopment and illiteracy are among the principal contributing factors to the spread of HIV/AIDS and noting with grave concern that HIV/AIDS is compounding poverty and is now reversing or impeding development in many countries and should therefore be addressed in an integrated manner Noting that armed conflicts and natural disasters also exacerbate the spread of the epidemic Noting further that stigma, silence, discrimination, and denial, as well as lack of confidentiality, undermine prevention, care and treatment efforts and increase the impact of the epidemic on individuals, families, communities and nations and must also be addressed Stressing that gender equality and the empowerment of women are fundamental elements in the reduction of the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS Recognizing that access to medication in the context of pandemics such as HIV/AIDS is one of the fundamental elements to achieve progressively the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health Recognizing that the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is an essential element in a global response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including in the areas of prevention, care, support and treatment, and that it reduces vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and prevents stigma and related discrimination against people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS Acknowledging that prevention of HIV infection must be the mainstay of the national, regional and international response to the epidemic; and that prevention, care, support and treatment for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are mutually reinforcing elements of an effective response and must be integrated in a comprehensive approach to combat the epidemic Recognizing the need to achieve the prevention goals set out in this Declaration in order to stop the spread of the epidemic and acknowledging that all countries must continue to emphasize widespread and effective prevention, including awareness-raising campaigns through education, nutrition, information and health-care services Recognizing that care, support and treatment can contribute to effective prevention through increased acceptance of voluntary and confidential counseling and testing, and by keeping people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable groups in close contact with health-care systems and facilitating their access to information, counseling and preventive supplies Emphasizing the important role of cultural, family, ethical and religious factors in the prevention of the epidemic, and in treatment, care and support, taking into account the particularities of each country as well as the importance of respecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in February 2007: The Bethesda System – An Overview Women’s Health and Education Center’s Contribution Quality of life & Gynecological Malignancies WHEC Publication. Special thanks to World Health Organization project on quality of life (WHOQOL) and Mental Health Department for its assistance and contribution News, Invitations and Letters: THE SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT: Strengthening efforts to Eradicate Poverty and Hunger – A report of the Secretary-General on the theme of the 2007 Annual Ministerial Review is being prepared. It is envisaged to consist of two main sections: I. Global Overview and II. Thematic Discussion. The overview will provide a concise analysis providing an assessment of progress, identifying gaps and obstacles in implementing the UN Development Agenda and making recommendations to overcome those gaps. The global overview will analyze the regional differences (including, where possible and relevant, differences between rural and urban areas) and highlight challenges in implementation. Particular attention may be paid to rural development and food security, financing for development and the role of intellectual property rights. The thematic discussion will approach the 2007 theme from several perspectives. There will be an assessment of the challenges to poverty eradication and hunger, with particular emphasis on successful policies as well as beneficial partnerships. Another section will examine enhancing sustainable fiscal space for countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There will also be an analysis of the impact of MDG 8 (Global Governance and Global Partnership), on eradicating poverty and hunger and of the status of implementation of MDG 8 commitments; in particular Official Development Assistance (ODA), debt relief, agricultural support, and technology transfer. Secretary-General’s address to UNIS-UN Conference on Climate Change; New York, 1 March 2007: http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2462 The 192nd UN Member State: The people of Montenegro, within just two months, transformed their nation from creating a newly independent republic in a referendum in May 2006 to saluting a reinvented flag and becoming a full-fledged member of the United Nations. The country peacefully separated from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June 2006 and its people, in aspiring for UN membership, have since demonstrated their desire to actively and cooperatively support solving world issues. On 22 June, the UN Security Council, in adopting unanimously resolution 1691 (2006), recommended the admittance of the Republic of Montenegro to the Organization. Six days later, on 28 June, the General Assembly declared and welcomed Montenegro as the 192nd Member State of the United Nations – the newest since Timor Leste’s induction on 27 September 2002. The world witnessed a great leap forward for Montenegro in its desire to become an active member of the international community. UNICEF: The State of World’s Children 2007 examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives – and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals forward, and show investment in women’s rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children. For details please visit: http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/docs/sowc07.pdf Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Ian Smith, Advisor to the Director-General, World Health Organization, for his support and assistance in our efforts to improve maternal and child health worldwide. It was indeed a privilege to present this project with him at NGO Briefing, UN Headquarter, on World Health Day 7 April 2005. Thanks for the friendship and World Health Report 2005: Make Every Mother and Child Count. Thanks again Victoria from all of us at WHEC; your work and contributions to The Board will go on. Beyond the numbers… Woods are lonely, dark and deep But I have promises to keep; And to go miles before I sleep, And to go miles before I sleep.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 2007; Vol. 2, No. 2 Confession, they say, is good for the soul. WomensHealthSection.com has been a delight, a challenge, a stimulus, a source of laughter and sometimes irritation and simply pain in the neck. Assembled in 5 separate sections and 8 sub-sections is a selection of more than 200 systematic reviews of the literature, about 1,800 URLs, linked to 12,000 to 15,000 web-networks in any given month reflecting the breadth and depth of the specialty. This delightful collection reminds us that there is more to medicine than strict science. I am certain that is why readers find this publication interesting and entertaining. The goal of WomensHealthSection.com is to promote excellence in the clinical practice of obstetrics and gynecology and closely related fields. We continue to have the highest circulation worldwide among all obstetrics and gynecology journals – about 4 million readers a year in 154 countries. Each month we send you WHEC Update (Policy-Briefs) to highlight the efforts of the United Nations in tackling various issues at the National and International levels. We hope this provides a comprehensive account of the many challenges before the international community, as well as the joint ongoing efforts to find solutions. Helping others gives success true meaning. These basic facts about the United Nations and its system reflect the multitude of ways in which the United Nations touches the lives of people everywhere. It chronicles the work of the Organization in such areas as health, peace, development, human rights, humanitarian assistance, disarmament and international law. Globalization is transforming the world. While it brings great benefits to some countries and individuals – faster growth, higher living standards, new opportunities – a backlash has risen because these benefits are distributed so unequally and because the global market is not yet underpinned by values and rules that address key social concerns such as the protection of human rights, labor standards and the environment. Poverty and inequality are fertile ground for conflict. We hope to help promote understanding about the United Nations and its presence in people’s lives. United Nations in a united world Your Questions, Our Reply: What do people expect from their doctors? Quality in medical care: it might be said that what patients ought to want and are entitled to expect is a professional service of the highest quality. Quality has been defined as “fitness to the purpose”. Clearly patients expect medicine to be something more than the mere application of medical science to the human condition. The simplest way to find out what people might want or expect from their doctors is to ask them. Surprisingly few people seem to worry about the technical competence of doctors. What they worry about is doctor’s ability to understand the patient as a person and provide the right guidance. Financial, legal and administrative techniques seem powerless to ensure that this demand is met. The message seems to be that people want personally relevant healthcare delivered by a doctor who knows them well and which addresses their particular problems. By inference, people do not want healthcare which is pursuing some medically defined agenda, or is delivered by an impersonal team. Market-driven healthcare: A growing proportion of the peoples of the world are now demanding personal medical care on a scale that few countries can afford. What the patient needs is a doctor whom he or she trusts, with the skill to assist in making strategic life decisions. No one wants to be cared for by a committee. Litigation is also a growing phenomenon in many parts of the world. Medical malpractice legislation has been used to control medicine in the United States for some time. As a means of ensuring quality, it has failed. “Defensive medicine” involves much needless investigation and it can become enormously expensive. Yet another solution is to establish a vast bureaucracy of external assessors who scrutinize records and statistics of practice activity. Their methods are biased in favor of checklists and measurable quantities. The subjective and qualitative aspects of care – valued so highly by patients – are inaccessible to such an approach. My suggestion; the quality assurance is best left to the profession itself. The quality of care must be reviewed, but not in a piecemeal fashion. It should be looked at using methods which question total patient management and the values and attitudes on which it is based. This form of peer-review should become an integral part of the professional task, with sufficient working time allotted to it. It requires skills which should form a central part of the physician’s education and training. The market knows best. About NGO Association with the UN: Second Committee: Economic and Financial – From strengthening coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance, including special economic aid to individual countries or regions, to correcting global trade imbalances and promoting information technology for development, the Second Committee works hard on these issues. By a draft on the external debt crisis and development, adopted without a vote, the General Assembly stressed that debt-relief could play a key role in liberating resources for poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable development. A significant proportion of official development assistance (ODA) is aimed at promoting sustainable development in poorer countries, particularly through natural resource conservation, environmental protection and population programs. Many delegations have pointed out that writing off the escalating external debt burden of the world’s poorest countries must become a top priority in helping them to restore economic growth, fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Africa’s economic growth levels must double to 7% annually over the next decade in order to halve poverty by the year 2015. But continued debt servicing has made it impossible for Africa’s heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) to increase savings and investments to promote economic growth. Eight years after launching the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative, these nations are still far from reaching sustainable debt levels. International financial institutions also drew attention to the intractable debt crisis. However, inexpensive and simple measures, with proper resource allocation and strong institutional structures, are available to reduce the impact of disaster. Focusing on the developmental effects of climate change The UN protocol, a legally binding treaty in effect from 16 January 2005, will have thirty supporting industrialized countries cut their green house gas emissions to nearly 5% below 1990 levels. NGOs have responsibility to try to make good recommendations and the Second Committee has a direct impact in achieving MDGs. Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): WHO package of essential Health Impact Assessment (HIA) functions: many countries now find themselves in a process of accelerated development. For sustainability’s sake, their governments will need to consider the health of their population. WHO offers a comprehensive package consisting of workshops for ministry of health staff, which focuses on essential HIA management training courses, with the objective of developing skills for intersectoral negotiation skills in development planning, and policy seminars to create an enabling environment for HIA. These capacity-building activities already refer to health promotion, and the package is continuously reviewed and upgraded to include further elements and to ensure the involvement health promotion staff in its implementation. HIA capacity-building is perhaps the field where strengthening the links between HIA and health promotion can have the most immediate results and benefits. For details please visit: www.who.int/hia/en/ Collaboration with UN University (UNU): UNU-WIDER – The World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER) was established by the United Nations University (UNU) as its first research and training center and started work in Helsinki, Finland in 1985. The Institute undertakes applied research and policy analysis on structural changes affecting the developing and transitional economies, provides a forum for the advocacy of policies leading to robust, equitable, and environmentally sustainable growth, and promotes capacity strengthening and training in the field of economic and social policy maker. Work is carried out by staff researchers and visiting scholars in Helsinki and through networks of collaborating scholars and institutions around the world. An effective state is able to mobilize revenue and spend it on infrastructure, services, and public goods that both enhance human capital and the well-being of communities (especially the poor), as well as stimulating investment and employment creation by the private sector. An effective state also manages public finance to ensure that macroeconomic balance is maintained – with policy neither too restrictive to discourage private investment and growth, nor too accommodative to create high inflation and crowd out private investment. Growth, poverty reduction, and social peace are all undermined when public expenditure management and taxation are weak, and when the fiscal debt are not managed successfully. And large-scale aid and debt relief cannot work without a good fiscal system. These are the some of the important issues on the agenda of UNU-WIDER. Fiscal policy is more than just a question of good economics; it is also fundamental to the politics of development. If a measure of peace can be achieved then any political settlement must have a fiscal dimension. Point of View: Conflict of Interest in Research- why it hurts all of us: We live in a time of increasing commercialization of all aspects of public life. The influence of multinational corporations is not surprising, given that many of them represent more economic power than half the nations on earth. The effects of all this power are easy to see in western democratic societies, where industry lobbying is all pervasive. In our role as healthcare providers, whether at the coalface of patient care or in research, we have to deal with the consequences. We can’t be without them, and our patients and clients can’t either. Industry contacts are valuable and can make a huge difference, helping us reach our goals easier and more effectively. I am personally very grateful to a number of corporate sponsors for support of past and present research projects. No doubt there are many opportunities for cooperation that benefit everybody. But of course commercial companies aren’t nice to us out of humanitarian kindness. They see us in a role that can degenerate into that of a glorified PR consultant- if we let that happen. And it is happening all the time. Many current papers on drug treatment present data from industry-controlled-trials, with data collection and analysis handled by either the companies themselves or a contractor, ‘authored’ by people who have received money from the companies selling the drugs assessed in the papers. As regards who has actually written the paper- that’s often difficult to ascertain. Ghost-writing of such articles is widespread. Our patients and clients expect a very different role from us. When we prescribe medication or suggest the acquisition of a certain product, we take responsibility for purchase decisions, whether by the health service, a hospital or an individual. We are supposed to protect the patient or consumer from inappropriate or dangerous products or interventions. In order to be able to preserve our role of advocate and our professional independence, in order to make sure the public won’t see us as the culprits in the biomedical scandals of the 21st century, we need to reduce the influence of industry on our professional activities, in particular as regards research and teaching. Cooperation between clinical researchers and industry needs to be strictly regulated, in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Our duty is towards the public who expect us to be unbiased in our research and clinical practice. This can only be achieved if we refuse to be part of a sales machine. By Dr. Hans Peter Dietz Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Western Clinical School, Nepean Campus, University of Sydney Nepean Hospital, Penrith NSW 2750 Australia Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS “Global Crisis – Global Action: series continues Recalling and reaffirming our previous commitments on HIV/AIDS made through: The United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000;The Political Declaration and Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Commitments made at the World Summit for Social Development of 1 July 2000; The Political Declaration and Further Action and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 10 June 2000; Key Actions for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development of 2 July 1999; The regional call for action to fight HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific of 25 April 2001; The Abuja Declaration and Framework for Action for the Fight Against HIV/ AIDS, Tuberculosis and other Related Infectious Diseases in Africa, 27 April 2001; The Declaration of the Ibero-America Summit of Heads of State of November 2000 in Panama; The Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS, 14 February, 2001; The European Union Programme for Action: Accelerated Action on HIV/ AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis in the Context of Poverty Reduction of 14 May 2001; The Baltic Sea Declaration on HIV/AIDS Prevention of 4 May 2000; The Central Asian Declaration on HIV/AIDS of 18 May 2001 Convinced of the need to have an urgent, coordinated and sustained response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which will build on the experience and lessons learned over the past 20 years; Noting with grave concern that Africa, in particular sub-Saharan Africa, is currently the worst affected region where HIV/AIDS is considered as a state of emergency, which threatens development, social cohesion, political stability, food security and life expectancy and imposes a devastating economic burden and that the dramatic situation on the continent needs urgent and exceptional national, regional and international action; Welcoming the commitments of African Heads of State or Government, at the Abuja Special Summit in April 2001, particularly their pledge to set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their annual national budgets for the improvement of the health sector to help address the HIV/AIDS epidemic; and recognizing that action to reach this target, by those countries whose resources are limited, will need to be complemented by increased international assistance; Recognizing also that other regions are seriously affected and confront similar threats, particularly the Caribbean region, with the second highest rate of HIV infection after sub-Saharan Africa, the Asia-Pacific region where 7.5 million people are already living with HIV/AIDS, the Latin America region with 1.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and the Central and Eastern European region with very rapidly rising infection rates; and that the potential exists for a rapid escalation of the epidemic and its impact throughout the world if no specific measures are taken; To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in January 2007: Infertility: Evaluation and Management Supported by an educational grant from the Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC). Special thanks to Dr. Bradley J. Van Voorhis, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive health, University of Iowa (USA) for his contributions and insights to the symposium Syphilis in Pregnancy: Prevention of Congenital Syphilis Women’s Health and Education Center’s Contribution News, Invitations and Letters: WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2007 at 10:00 AM; Update on the work of the General Assembly – A Briefing for NGOs A Briefing by the Office of the President of the General Assembly on: Thematic Debates of the General Assembly on Gender Equality and on the Dialogue of Civilizations Security Council Reform Environmental Governance Financing for Development System-wide Coherence The Capital Master Plan Conference Room 3, United Nations, New York; for more information, please contact Ms. Shamina de Gonzaga, Special Adviser on NGO relations in the Office of the President of the General Assembly Summary – Forum on General Assembly and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Relations: An interactive forum on General Assembly and non-governmental organization relations was held on 21st November 2006 at the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, under the auspices of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the United Nations Foundation. The aim of the forum was to stimulate greater understanding between Member States and non-governmental organization (NGOs) regarding the challenges and opportunities for further partnership. The forum brought together representatives of 50 Member States, 150 NGOs and 7 United Nations offices who shared their views, concerns and recommendations. The following key messages emerged from the forum: Partnership between the United Nations and NGOs is vital to the success of the UN in achieving its goals. NGOs bring vision and information to UN meetings and contribute to UN efforts operationally, financially, and in terms of public awareness and support. NGO participation in UN meetings and processes is complementary, not contradictory, to the UN’s intergovernmental structure whereby Member States are the sole decision-makers. The systemic implementation of best practices of NGO participation in the UN would benefit all stakeholders. First Person Diplomacy: Too Important to Be Left to Men? By Akmaral Arystanbkova. Of the delegates from 50 countries who signed the Charter of the United Nations in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, four were women: Virginia Gildersleeve (United States), Bertha Lutz (Brazil), Wu Yi-fang (China) and Minerva Bernardino (Dominican Republic). I happened to meet Ms. Bernardino, a woman of quite venerable age, at UN Headquarters in New York when she was given an award from the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute by then United States First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Ms. Bernardino had been her country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations for many years. “I used to be a fighter for women’s rights”, she said in her address. “I still am.” She had been an active participant in the movement for women’s right to vote in Latin America, and continued to fight for equal rights within the newly founded world Organization, considering that it was essential that international texts stress not only human rights but also equality between men and women. Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2002/issue3/0302p62_first_person.html Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Kaylene Selleck, Editorial Assistant, at the Bulletin of the World Health Organization for her priceless work, support and friendship. Thanks for making editing look so easy. We all wish you the best. Beyond the numbers… The reply of the Spartan father who said to his son, when complaining that his sword was too short. “Add a step to it” is applicable to everything in life.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 2007; Vol. 2, No. 1 All of us join in wishing you a successful New Year! It has been quite a ride. Emerging and Surging. Firing on all cylinders, WomensHealthSection.com powered ahead in 2006, at its fastest pace, for over 5 years. The good news is that people love “personal” media. We expect to create more dynamic web-pages in 2007. Is there a place for “user-generated content”? The irony is also philosophical in nature. Power is increasingly in the hands of the users. Think about the blogging phenomenon. Today, digital information about nearly every aspect of our lives is being created at an astonishing rate. The Internet is helping to satisfy our most fundamental human needs — our desire for knowledge, communication, and a sense of belonging. Trend is not destiny, of course. But as a no-nonsense sports writer once wrote during the depth of America’s Depression, “The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong — but that is the way to bet”. We are betting on the Internet-Classrooms because we believe that there is bull market in imagination online. Sophisticated browsers and technologies are simple building-blocks that enable people to produce and distribute content — are critical in this new world. Simplicity is triumphing over complexity. Partnerships with civil society are increasingly important for the United Nations in its efforts to protect vulnerable groups such as the poor. These “vital voices” are very often those of women, who perform invaluable advocacy and service work in numerous human rights fields — combating human trafficking and gender violence or fighting for equal rights, especially in education, health and sports. Collaboration is central to our process. The world must advance the causes of security, health, development and human rights together, otherwise none will succeed. A Time for Renewal Your Questions, Our Reply: How do you see WHEC’s role in the ongoing development of health ethics? Ethics & Health: Nearly all philosophical systems include an ethical component. Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the distinction between right and wrong, and the moral consequences of our actions. Looking at the development of medical ethics from a historical point of view, we see that our Western civilization is based on Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions. Our so-called Western culture is unified by these common roots, which for medical ethics are the Hippocratic writings. Other cultures have different roots — the Chinese and Hindu traditions, for example. The limited contacts between civilizations in the past had little effect on each one’s traditions, culture, and ethical principles. Recent intercultural debates about ethical issues immediately bring to light these differences. In some cultures there is emphasis on the family and the wider circle beyond individual. A great step forward has been the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was developed by the United Nations after the Second World War. Although it is certainly feasible to develop a universal code of ethics, there are substantial differences in values that are dear to each of us, and we do not like others to interfere. In the field of ethics, as with any controversial issue in society or between different cultural settings, dialogue must come first to share ideas and concerns about the issues inherent in the interactions of health and ethics, and to collaborate in devising and applying means of resolving them. The interests of individuals do not necessarily coincide with those of the community — very often the interests of the community are contrary to those of the individual. Such conflict exists and needs to be considered from all points of view to see if it is possible to work out a compromise. In my opinion Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC) is doing this very well because there are continually new developments in global thinking in this field. WHEC is well placed to convince politicians and to stimulate the political will for translating this commitment into action. Cultural differences are central in international work — we should always keep in mind that people are different and we must endeavor to understand them. The importance of intercultural debate among like-minded people cannot be emphasized enough. Dialogue, and yet more dialogue, is the way forward. About NGO Association with the UN: First Committee: Disarmament and International Security — As the world stands in the midst of dangers brought on by the nuclear proliferation of ballistic missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, arising environmental concerns and thriving illicit small-arms businesses plaguing all corners of the world, the First Committee convened its session during 61st General Assembly to seek out resolutions to the challenges in international security regime. The agenda that the First Committee is dealing with is a very rich one. It is also an agenda that has not moved according to the means of our times. During the session, reform of the Committee emerged as one of the most visible initiatives. The draft resolution, “improving the effectiveness of the methods of work of the First Committee”, was adopted without a vote. In addressing the Committee’s working methods, texts that are similar in substance were merged. This initiative was especially relevant in light of the fact that there have been originally two draft resolutions on improving working methods: one submitted by the United States, and the other by Malaysia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. After weeks of negotiations, the two co-sponsors managed to unite their divergent draft texts. It was one of the best compromises made between the Non-Aligned Movement Countries and the United States. There was no rivalry, just a consensual merger. In Africa, one of the greatest difficulties in controlling illicit proliferation of small arms is the fact of their easy accessibility to non-States individuals. The First Committee estimates that there are 650 million small arms in the world. About 500,000 people die each year from their use. It is not easy to find a way out; yet the only possibility is that NGOs should try to be more open to proposals, so that window of opportunity can be identified, especially the countries in the middle that are Non-Nuclear-Weapon States or Chemical-Weapon possessors. NGOs can influence countries that need to make specific steps towards disarmaments and advance the agenda by taking initiatives. Summary of 59th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, Unfinished Business: Effective Partnership for Human Security and Sustainable Development can be accessed at: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2006/webArticles/110206_DPINGO.htm Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): In October 2002, the World Health Organization launched its Ethics and Health Initiative to provide a focal point for the examination of the ethical issues raised by activities throughout the organization, including the regional and country offices, and to develop activities regarding a wide range of global bioethics topics, from organ and tissue transplantation to developments in genomics, and from research with human beings to fair access to health services. Our Activities: work in ethics and health is now carried out by the Department of Ethics, Trade, Human Rights and Health Law in the Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments cluster at headquarters (SDE/ETH). This department is involved in a wide range of ethics activities, both on its own initiative and in response to the needs of other parts of WHO, in Geneva as well as WHO’s country and regional offices. The specific projects, many of which link different departments and involve experts from outside the organization, evolve in response to changes in the field; special attention is paid to issues that overlap work carried out elsewhere in the department on law, human rights, and the effects of globalization. For details please visit: http://www.who.int/eth/ETX_WP_Jan05.pdf (Requires Adobe Reader) Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Ethics in Action — The Ethical Challenges of International Human Rights Nongovernmental Organizations; publication of UN University and Cambridge University Press introduces reflections on dialogues between practitioners and theorists of Human Rights. This book is the product of a multi-layer dialogue between leading human rights theorists and high-level representatives of international human rights nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) sponsored by the United Nations University, Tokyo and the City University of Hong Kong. It is divided into three parts that reflect the major ethical challenges discussed at a series of workshops: the ethical challenges associated with interaction between relatively rich and powerful Northern-based human rights INGOs; and the tension between expanding the organization’s mandate to address more fundamental social and economic problems and focusing on more immediate and clearly identifiable violations of civil and political rights. Each section contains contributions by both theorists and practitioners of human rights. Chapters on — Dilemmas Facing NGOs in Coalition-Occupied Iraq; addresses the challenge of dealing with States that restricts the activities of INGOs. The United Nations University is an organ of the United Nations established by the General Assembly in 1972 to be an international community of scholars engaged in research, advanced training, and the dissemination of knowledge related to the pressing global problems of human survival, development, and welfare. Its activities focus mainly on the areas of peace and governance, environment and sustainable development, and science and technology in relation to human welfare. The University operates through a worldwide network of research and postgraduate training centers, with its planning and coordinating headquarter in Tokyo. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS; “Global Crisis — Global Action” series: We, Heads of State and Government and Representatives of States and Governments, assembled at the United Nations, from 25 to 27 June 2001, for the twenty-sixth special session of the General Assembly convened in accordance with resolution 55/13, as a matter of urgency, to review and address the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects as well as to secure a global commitment to enhancing coordination and intensification of national, regional and international efforts to combat it in a comprehensive manner Deeply concerned that the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, through its devastating scale and impact, constitutes a global emergency and one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity, as well as to the effective enjoyment of human rights, which undermines social and economic development throughout the world and affects all levels of society — national, community, family and individual Noting with profound concern, that by the end of the year 2000, 36.1 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, 90 per cent in developing countries and 75 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa Noting with grave concern that all people, rich and poor, without distinction of age, gender or race are affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, further noting that people in developing countries are the most affected and that women, young adults and children, in particular girls, are the most vulnerable Concerned also that the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS will constitute a serious obstacle to the realization of the global development goals we adopted at the Millennium Summit To be continued… Top Two Articles Accessed in December 2006: Endometriosis Author: Dr. Robert L. Barbieri; Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Boston, MA (USA) Ethical Issues in Reproductive Health: That Delicate Balance Supported by Educational Grant from Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC). Special thanks to UN — Population and Development Program for its assistance in preparation of the symposium. News, Invitations and Letters: The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM): It is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies that promote women’s human rights, political participation and economic security. UNIFEM works in partnership with UN Organizations, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and networks to promote gender equality. It links women’s issues and concerns to national, regional and global agendas by fostering collaboration and providing technical expertise on gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment strategies. The UNIFEM Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women is the only UN global grant-making mechanism that supports innovative efforts to end violence against women worldwide. Since it was established in 1996, the Trust Fund has awarded over 7.8 million to programs around the globe in 73 countries. Women’s rights have been repeatedly defined in international agreements such as the Beijing Platform for Action, and while much progress has been made, a continued emphasis needs to be made on keeping these promises. One of the most important references is the legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a milestone series of commitments to protecting and advancing women’s rights in all spheres of life that is widely known as the women’s international bill of human rights. By the second half of 2005, 180 governments had become party to the Convention. The Millennium Declaration, product of the 2000 Millennium Summit, calls upon governments to implement CEDAW. UNIFEM’s work on women’s human rights makes consistent connections to rights across its programs, including by ensuring that attention goes first to the most marginalized groups. Protecting women’s rights starts with appropriate legislation that must then be upheld in practice. On 29 January 2007, the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) will organize the second annual observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, with a ceremony from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters. Madame Simone Veil, President of the Foundation Pour la Mémoire da la Shoah and a survivor of the Holocaust, will deliver the keynote address. In keeping with the theme of “Remembrance and Beyond”, the observance will focus on the importance of infusing today’s youth with the lessons of the Holocaust, so that future generations may carry the torch of remembrance, and remind the world of the dangers posted by hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice. A university student will speak on the importance of learning about the education in promoting tolerance and ending discrimination. This observance is being organized by DPI’s Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Program, created in the context of General Assembly Resolution 60/7 in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide. From Seeds to System: The United Nations Charter: It is noteworthy that the United States Senate voted 89 to 2 for ratification, and hopes that the Organization could ensure a peaceful and harmonious future were very high. During this great conference in 1945, the evidence of war was unmistakable. The streets continued to swarm with military personnel, even though the war in Europe ended halfway through the Conference, San Francisco Bay throbbed with the energy of naval vessels preparing to join the campaign against Japan — that war outlasted the Conference. The setting is important in understanding what the United Nations was intended to be. Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the United States, and Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom were the main proponents of a new start in organizing the world to do better than it had done between the end of the First World War and the outbreak of the Second World War. They wanted to avert a future like that of the past with its sequence of aggressions, the rise of Fascism and Nazism, the plunge into a war that was the greatest man-made disaster in human history, and the collapse of the League of Nations. They were idealists — and they were also realists. They agreed that at the center of the new structure there had to be a great power nexus. At the heart of their plan were the great power policemen working together to maintain a post-war system of security and peace under law. For them, international peace and security was the dominant purpose. They needed the Soviet Union in the great-power core. They also recognized that economic circumstances and human rights were important to their goal, but these were auxiliary not primary objectives. Details: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue3/0305p18.html Special Thanks: WHEC acknowledges the indispensable work of Dr. Benton Baker III, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas and Director of Graduate Medical Education, in the launch of e-learning publication: WomensHealthSection.com. His invaluable support and friendship to the project is the corner stone of our success. Thanks again for everything. Beyond the numbers… There are three short and simple words, the hardest to all to pronounce in any language, but the man or nation that is unable to utter them cannot claim to have arrived at manhood. These words are — I was wrong.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) November 2006; Vol. 1, No. 2 The purpose of the e-learning publication WomensHealthSection.com is to provide an overview of current clinical management guidelines in Women’s Health, focusing on the components integral to providing optimum care. The articles are designed for all members of the interdisciplinary team: physicians, physicians-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. WomensHealthSection.com is a vision for the Globalized World. The use of information science and telecommunications to support the practice of medicine when distance separates the caregiver from the patient is the way forward to make medical care more affordable and more accessible in every country. With the increasing integration of the world economy, issues of research and development in health sector has assumed a global dimension. Although we always think big, our approach is to start small, do it really well, and then gradually expand. Most of our work relies on a network of partners. We have been really fortunate because of the dedication, competence and sheer hard work of our partners, and a measure of our success lies in the way they have made this project their own. Great Expectations! Your Questions, Our Reply: What moves you? “What Works?” MDGs # 4 & 5: In September 2000, representatives from 189 countries gathered at the Millennium Summit to set specific targets for human development and poverty reduction to be achieved by 2015. This global commitment has been summarized in eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which provide a framework for measuring development progress. Two of the eight goals focus on child and maternal mortality, underscoring the importance of these issues to global development: Goal 4 aims to reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate of children under five from 1990 levels Goal 5 aims to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarter from 1990 levels When it comes to women’s health and healthcare, no technique bears more fruit than divining a theme and developing variations. In a world obsessed with — what is new and what is next — education is still at the core, after decades, for the better health and the living conditions. There is nothing more classic than a bright idea. Consider this one: a federation of National OB/GYN Societies of all 191 Member States of the United Nations. Thinking globally advocating nationally a global movement can be established for better understanding of reproductive health and cultures. This will be helpful to support national efforts for accelerating universal coverage of essential interventions for maternal, newborn and child health in high-mortality countries. This movement is essential to raise the priority and mobilize the necessary financial investment for maternal, newborn and child health, globally and at the national levels. To help secure coordination, and to strengthen the long-term commitment of different participants and NGOs, the new global Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health seeks to track progress, highlight inequality, and promote greater accountability. Education that empowers women to make decisions about their lives and health is the key to reduce maternal mortality. The tragedy is that these women die not from disease, but during the normal, life-enhancing process of procreation; every woman who dies, many more suffer from serious conditions that can affect them for the rest of their lives. Maternal mortality is an indicator of disparity and inequality between men and women. There is now global momentum to address these issues and we have a unique opportunity to build on this. Leadership is an art, and there are no hard-and-fast rules. About NGO Association with the UN: Literacy as freedom: 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, migrant refugees, 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. Secretary–General Kofi Annan stated that “literacy is the key to unlocking the cage of human misery, the key to delivering the potential of every human being, the key to opening up a future of freedom and hope. We know from study after study that there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls and women.” Collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO): To help countries make healthcare programs a reality in the late 1990s, several international agencies and donors became concerned that technical guidelines and programs in the field of reproductive health were not being implemented in some countries. In 1999, WHO, USAID and other organizations launched what has become known as the Implementing Best Practices (IBP) initiative to help countries translate evidence-based policies, programs and guidelines into reality. IBP partners work on collaborative assignments and with country teams in Benin, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia to harmonize approaches, reduce duplication of effort and develop strategies. The partnership has also helped to develop an electronic communication system known as the IBP Knowledge Gateway. This web-based system allows communities of practice — groups of people who share what they know — to exchange knowledge and experiences in implementing reproductive health programs. The system was launched in late 2003 and has over 3800 members from 58 countries and 146 communities of practice. The IBP secretariat is based at WHO, Department of Reproductive Health and Research. By June 2006, 23 international organizations had joined the partnership. For details please visit: www.ibpinitiative.org Collaboration with UN University (UNU): Under the auspices of the United Nations University (UNU) the Global Virtual University (GVU) is a consortium of universities that work together to enhance learning for environmental sustainability. Through a range of online study programs and courses, the mission of GVU is to increase people’s sensitivity to and involvement in finding solutions for environment and development issues. The consortium acknowledges the importance of education for development and is particularly designed to meet the educational needs of the developing countries. Online learning (e-learning) forms the basic educational method for all our study programs and courses. This implies that a substantial part of teaching, collaboration, and supervision take place on the Internet. The pedagogy has a social constructivist approach, which means that group work, online discussions and joint assignments are important. It further implies that an active and regular participation among the students is essential. Students meet their classmates in virtual classrooms, in some cases supported by a face to face session in the beginning of the course. Top Two-Articles Accessed in October 2006: Sonographic Screening for Down Syndrome Author: Dr. Fergal D. Malone, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY (USA); Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin (Ireland). Contraception Counseling & Compliance WHEC Publication. Special thanks to Department of Reproductive Health and Research of World Health Organization for its contributions. News, Invitations and Letters: Background on the 21 November, 2006 forum on General Assembly and Non-Governmental Organization Relations: The Office of the President of the 61st Session of the General Assembly and the United Nations Foundation are convening this forum to provide an opportunity for an informal dialogue between Member States and non-governmental organizations on the future of the relationship between non-governmental organizations and the General Assembly. In recent years, the General Assembly has invited the input of the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to its major deliberations. In June of 2005, the General Assembly held its first informal interactive hearings with the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental-organizations, as an input to the 2005 World Summit. In the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, World leaders welcomed the positive contributions of local authorities, the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to the work of the United Nations and encouraged the continued dialogue between these actors and Member States. Women Presidents of the General Assembly: When Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain was appointed President of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly; she became only the third woman to occupy the prestigious post. The other two — Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India, who presided over the eighth session in 1953, and Angie Elisabeth Brooks of Liberia, over the twenty-fourth session in 1969 — each had to chair during uncertain times for the United Nations. Jyoti Dar, Director of International Affairs and NGO Representative at UN for Women’s Health and Education Center (WHEC), is grand-daughter of Mrs. Pandit. You will find the article very informative: http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2006/issue3/0306p06.htm Special Thanks: WHEC thanks Dr. Robert L. Barbieri, Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (USA) for his support, kindness and friendship. It is an honor to work with him on this project, and his work in reproductive health is priceless. Thanks again for sharing it with us. My appreciation and deeply felt regards for the skills of Victoria A. White, CEO, eclecTechs whose suggestions and feedback contributed so much to the ultimate outcome of this e-learning publication. It is a privilege to work with her entire team. Beyond the numbers… Neither a wish nor a hope nor a prayer will grow food or build a shelter or maintain a business or invent a computer / internet or discover a cure for a disease or devise a proper political system or preserve / protect human rights / relationships. All of the values on which our life, well-being and happiness depend require — A Process of Thought and Effort.Read More