REFLECTION: THE UNITED STATES' UNIQUE POWER

On Sunday, September 16, The Washington Post link Outlook section ran a compelling opinion piece by Robert Kaiser. He reflected on the U.S.'s position in the world on an array of issues after the September 11 terrorist attack, including population and development. In his opinion piece, Kaiser pointed out that "while the world's attention is focused on terrorism, conditions for many around the world have not changed. We're all conscious of the profound transformations of the last half-century: the growth of Earth's human population from 2.5 billion to more than 6 billion; and the rise of the first serious threats to the long-term health of Earth itself..." After listing other profound transformations, Kaiser stressed, "We know all of this, but our knowledge hasn't yet changed our attitudes and behavior." Kaiser concluded, "What great American initiative has helped solve a global problem in recent times? We give much less, per capita, than other industrialized countries to help the world's poorest peoples. Our rich diversity prepares us to be active citizens of the world, but hasn't yet made us so."

UNITED NATIONS POSTPONES UPCOMING EVENTS

Following the September 11 tragedy, the United Nations General Assembly announced that the upcoming Children's Summit will be postponed. The Associated Press link reported on September 12 that diplomats said privately they expect the conference to be rescheduled for 2002. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urged countries to continue preparatory work for a new action plan for children. Carol Bellamy, Director of the U.N. Children's Fund welcomed the delay, commenting "the summit will be rescheduled when the time is right."

Shortly after, Stirling Scruggs of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released a statement announcing: "Due to the tragic events in New York, UNFPA has decided to postpone the launch of the 2001 State of World Population Report: "Footprints and Milestones: Population and Environmental Change" to Wednesday, November 7. The new embargo time is 0001 GMT."

HIV/AIDS
Mother-to-Child Transmission

International health researchers gathered in Kampala, Uganda, September 9-13 for the Third International Conference on Global Strategies for the Prevention of HIV Transmission from Mothers to Infants. Agence France Presse reported on September 8 that Arthur Ammann, president of Global Strategies, said the Kampala gathering would focus on applying knowledge gained from the latest research on mother-to-child HIV transmission.

At the conference, medical experts told delegates African women infected with HIV/AIDS have to break with tradition and stop breast-feeding to prevent passing it on to their children. A September story disseminated by Africa News link reported Dr. Lucy Connell of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa, warned, "The problem of breast-feeding in many countries in Africa is that the decision to feed does not always rest with the mother, but with close relatives, including mothers-in-law. They pressure them to feed the baby."

The conference also presented awards to Botswana, Brazil, Thailand and Uganda for their efforts in reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission. According to a September 9 story by Agence France Presse: * Botswana initiated two pilot programs on mother-to-child transmission in 1999, providing AZT free to all HIV-positive pregnant women. * Brazil implemented a policy that provided AZT free to all HIV-infected mothers and infants attending public hospitals. * Thailand contributed to a 1996 research project, in conjunction with the US-based Centers for Disease Control, during which it was observed that AZT could reduce mother-to-child transmission. * Uganda reduced HIV prevalence from 18.5 percent in 1995 to 8.3 percent in 1999.

Success Story

The World Health Organization (WHO) hailed Cambodia's "remarkable turnaround" in its fight against AIDS. Agence France Presse reported September 10 that the WHO cited Phnom Penh's pro-condom policy as a major weapon against HIV/AIDS. WHO Western Pacific director Shigeru Omi said estimates published by the Cambodian government indicate that since 1997, HIV transmission has been decreasing in all population groups studied. Average rate of HIV infection among pregnant women dropped from 2.7 percent to 1.9 percent between 1997 and 2000. Among young sex workers, it dropped from 41 percent in 1998 to 23 percent in 2001. Omi listed support from the Cambodian government and the international community as main contributing factors to the turnaround. He also noted the WHO's support for Cambodia's "100 percent condom use" program, which earlier proved successful in Thailand.

SAVING WOMEN'S LIVES

Despite efforts in Pakistan, maternal mortality rates (MMRs) remain high at 340 per 100,000 live births, along with infant mortality rates (IMRs) at 700 per 1,000 live births. These rates are considerably higher than in most developing countries. The Business Recorder link reported September 4 that a seven-year study by the Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, found that factors contributing to Pakistan's MMR and IMR were lack of access to effective referral-support services and non-availability of trained health professionals or Traditional Birth Attendants at the time of delivery.

Excision or female genital mutilation is outlawed in many countries, but Amnesty International believes as many as two-million girls a year still undergo the procedure, mostly in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Public Radio International link featured a September 7 segment from the Mullin's File that highlighted songs from Mali aimed to bring change to the tradition of female excision.

At a recent meeting sponsored by CIET, UNDP and UNICEF offered concrete evidence that children born to physically abused mothers are more prone to malnutrition. The Business Recorder link reported on September 6 that the meeting, which centered on "Bond of Care between Mother and Child on Malnutrition and Healthy Development," also found that the woman's level of education linked to the nutritional status of her child.

In the district of Trans Mara, Nairobi, more than 100 girls between the ages of six and 12 took part in a course de-emphasizing circumcision as a rite of passage. The course was a part of a campaign against female genital mutilation, according to a September 11 story disseminated by Africa News link . The girls also acquired skills in reproductive health and socio-cultural issues related to female circumcision, including interpersonal communication, girl education, human anatomy and physiology and children's rights.

ENVIRONMENT: FOOD SECURITY

A comprehensive study of whether the world will have enough to eat 20 years from now concluded that Africa, at least, probably will not. The Washington Post link reported on September 4 that the International Food Policy Research Institute's latest study found that without massive investment in irrigation, roads to take the harvest to market and crop research, Africa might have 49 million malnourished children by 2020, a rise of 50 percent. At the same time, the rest of the world, including India and China, will be better nourished than today, the report predicts. The Post also noted that African experts on agriculture, a sector widely neglected by African governments although three-quarters of Africans are farmers, consider the report's prediction credible.

"SHAKE THE NATION" CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

A coalition of 23 pro-life groups kicked off their "Shake the Nation" campaign in early September. The campaign seeks to pressure President Bush and the Democratic-controlled Senate to fill the next Supreme Court vacancy with an abortion opponent. The New York Times link reported on September 4 that the coalition will also pay close attention to whether Mr. Bush defends his ban on federal money for international family planning agencies that perform or promote abortions. The multi-front campaign, with an initial budget of $2 million, will open with television advertising in Washington and spread to other cities throughout the fall. As part of the effort, the coalition plans to encourage thousands of abortion opponents to mail baby rattles to their senators. The Times noted that the campaign comes amid the first signs of stress in the relationship between Mr. Bush and the pro-life movement, an important component of the president's political base.

DEMOGRAPHICS

A study titled, "Conception of Demographic Policy of Russia for the Period to 2015," conducted by the Russian government concluded that Russia has minimal time left to overcome the "demographic disaster" of rapidly declining population. On September 6, The Foreign Report stated the study found that in 2000, Russia's mortality rate exceeded the birth rate by approximately 958,000 people. According to the report, Russia will have fewer than 115 million people by 2050. Elderly women will be the largest population group. Currently, Russia's population stands at 147 million. To combat the decline, Russian demographers propose a campaign against alcoholism, adding much-needed public health centers and programs and reviving mobile medical teams.

OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS

On September 9, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer featured an op ed by Charles MacCormack, President and CEO, Save the Children. Among several issues, he stressed that "To improve the quality of life for children, world leaders must renew their investments in mothers by providing access to three essential tools: education, economic opportunities and maternal and child health care, including family planning. In fact, giving women the education and means to plan and space their births is one of the most effective interventions in child and maternal survival."

Before postponement of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children, The New York Times link ran a letter on September 4 from Adrienne Germain, president of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC). She wrote: "[W]hen [the Bush administration] demands that the term 'reproductive health' be deleted, the administration in effect wants to delete the reaffirmation of existing United Nations agreements on adolescents' health and rights. These agreements mandate adolescents' access to comprehensive sexuality education and reproductive health services--exactly the kinds of programs that the Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, says are 'needed and effective.'"

The above analysis was written by Elena M. H. Cabatu and Kathy Bonk at the Communications Consortium Media Center, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005, 202/326-8700.

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