Women Deliver Global Conference

Women Deliver marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the global Safe Motherhood Initiative in Kenya at London's Excel Conference and Exhibition Centre on October 18 to 20, 2007. More than 1,500 politicians including Ministers from Africa and Asia, human rights activists, NGOs, faith based organizations, health professionals and economists met to assess progress made in preventing maternal deaths and promoting child survival. The conference was co-sponsored by a partnership of UN agencies, including the World Bank, WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF; the official international assistance agencies of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and several International NGOs.

Mr. Harry with Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, H.E. Mr. Omwony Ojwok, Treasurer of PPD and Honorable Minister of State, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Government of Uganda and Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, Director, PPD Africa Regional Office

Mr. Harry Jooseery, PPD Executive Director and Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, PPD Africa Regional Office Director participated at the conference and advocated the promotion of Reproductive Health, Population and Development through South-South Cooperation. A corporate video of PPD was launched at the meeting through the Global Health TV.

Donors, government officials, corporations, foundations and non-governmental organizations pledged their commitment to invest in women’s health and to make achievement of Millennium Development Goal #5 (improve maternal health) “a high priority on the national, regional and international health agenda.”

The three-day conference included a grant announcement of more than US$200 million from the United Kingdom to UNFPA to advance women’s reproductive health worldwide; a US$11 million investment by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in distributing new technology against blood loss after childbirth in Nigeria and India; and a commitment from Japan to put global health at the centre of the Group of Eight summit meeting in Japan next year.

The Executive Director represents PPD at the RH Supply Coalition Meeting

WPPD has been a long-term collaborative partner and a founding member of the RH Supply Coalition. Based on the common interest of ensuring RH supply and security in developing countries, both the organizations work in close collaboration and assist each other towards achieving their shared goals. The Coalition convened its Eighty Semi-Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, DC on 24-25 October 2007. While the Eighth membership meeting focused on ensuring commodity security in Latin America, the specific objectives of the membership meeting were to:

• Update members on current Coalition activities, initiatives, and developments.
• Share successes and challenges in ensuring reproductive health commodity security from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) that are highly relevant for developing countries in other regions.
• Emphasize the lessons learned in LAC regarding financing mechanisms, supply chain management under health sector reform, advocacy, the private sector, reaching the underserved, and data for decision-making.

The membership meeting held in two main segments; Executive Committee Meeting and Panel discussions on different aspects of commodity supply and security issues in the Latin America. The Executive Committee Meeting reviewed the progress of the Coalition since the last meeting held in London in April 2007.

The substantive session commenced with an overview of the history of the Family Planning movement in Latin America, including its successes and challenges. Participants analyzed the roles of different sectors (government, NGO, civil society) in mobilizing and leveraging resources in the context of donor phase-out of contraceptive supplies; the importance of leadership from the Ministry of Health in creating a supportive policy environment for contraceptive security; and the value of civil society engagement in resource mobilization and policy implementation efforts.

The panellists also reviewed key considerations facing the international donor community, policymakers, family planning managers, and logistics advisors as they design and implement reforms for logistics systems functions. Participants shared the successes and challenges regarding innovative procurement agreements, use of procurement agents, and maintaining contraceptive security in integrated and decentralized logistics systems.

The “Female Condom Consortium” established in the Netherlands in May 2007 jointly by Oxfam (Novib), the World Population Foundation (WPF) and the Dutch Government was introduced to the participants. Drawing on experience derived from the introduction and distribution of the female condom, the panellists reviewed the challenges of ensuring broad method choice, innovative financing, role of women and alternative product sourcing.

UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2008-2011 - "To deepen, intensify and enhance South-South cooperation"

The UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board, at its Second Regular Session for 2007 ( 10-14 September 2007, New York), endorsed UNFPA's Strategic Plan for 2008-2011 which was presented by Dr. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA and which focuses on the three areas of population and development, reproductive health and rights, and gender equality towards achieving the ICPD goals and contributing to the MDGs. It also endorsed UNFPA's proposed global and regional programme for 2008-2011, which is to be implemented in line with the Strategic Plan.

With reference to South-South cooperation, the document on the Strategic Plan noted "UNFPA has a long history of promoting South-South cooperation. The recent report of the High Level Committee on South-South cooperation accorded South-South Cooperation high priority in order for developing countries to meet new challenges. UNFPA, in line with General Assembly resolution 60/212 and other resolutions relevant to South-South cooperation, will continue to provide support to deepen, intensify and enhance South-South Cooperation, including through triangular cooperation. In its programmes and through country level activities and country offices, UNFPA will mainstream modalities to support South-South cooperation through the enhanced use of local capacities and as a means to share best practices. The Fund will strengthen and further invigorate South-South cooperation as well as monitor its inputs through an appropriate indicator in the results framework."

It may be recalled here that PPD's proposed Strategic Plan for 2008-2011, which is to be submitted to the PPD Board at its Annual Meeting in Rabat in November 2007, shares the goals and objectives which will promote within the framework of South-South Cooperation with those of the Strategic Plan of UNFPA.

UNFPA is planning to relocate its geographical divisions to the regions and merge them with the country support teams. The locations of the divisions are to be worked out in consultation with other development agencies of the UN system.

PPD was represented at the session by Mr. Jyoti Shankar Singh, Permanent Observer to the United Nations and Dr Jotham Musinguzi, Director, PPD Regional Office for Africa.