Mappings on Reproductive Health Supplies

May 25, 2010 at 9:21 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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In May, the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) published mappings of reproductive health supplies in Latin America and the Caribbean, East Africa and in Asia and the Pacific. The mappings provide insights into the situation regarding RH supplies by presenting an overview of the procurement, funding, and policies of reproductive health supplies within the respective region and are a starting point for gathering further information related to access to RH supplies.

To get the mappings, please visit DSW’s website.

10th Asia Pacific Alliance Conference Postponed

April 28, 2010 at 2:05 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Due to recent developments and the increasing unrest in Thailand last week, the 10th APA conference “Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for the MDGs”, with a focus on priorities leading up to 2015 and beyond, initially scheduled 17-18 May 2010 in Bangkok is officially postponed. The conference will be moved to a later date this year.

For more information, please contact conference@asiapacificalliance.org.

Condom Distribution in the Philippines

February 28, 2010 at 4:12 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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In spite of conservative opposition, especially from the Catholic Church, the Philippines’ Department of Health (DoH) continues giving away condoms, or prophylactics to “people who need them” to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Other DoH strategies include education of the youth, workers, Filipinos overseas, as well as tourists and transients who visit the country. The DoH head said they would tap stand-by funds provided by international agencies, as in the 2010 DOH budget, no funds were appropriated by Congress for the procurement of condoms.

Read the full article at the Philippine News’ website.

Registration for the 10th APA Conference open now

February 8, 2010 at 3:40 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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The registration process for attending the 10th Asia Pacific Alliance (APA)  Conference is now open. The Conference will take place on 17 and 18 of May 2010, at Millennium Hilton Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.

While international leaders have committed to end poverty, many countries in the Asia and the Pacific are lagging far behind in work to achieve the MDGs. With only five years left to achieve the MDGs, time is fast running out. Advocacy to ensure decision-makers increase and maintain commitments to sexual and reproductive health remains critical. The 10th APA Conference will focus on action and bring together representatives from NGOs, youth organisations, governments and donor agencies active in Asia and the Pacific.

The form is designed to help organizers prepare a useful conference programme, and ensure there is space at the conference for participants to share skills and experiences in your advocacy work. If you wish to attend, please complete the registration form and return it by email to conference@asiapacificalliance.org. In order to arrange a room at the hotel and/or to apply for a funded place at the conference, you must return this form before 15 March 2010.

Agreement to Address Unmet Need

September 28, 2009 at 9:47 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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MSI_LogoLondon – Marie Stopes International (MSI) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have signed an agreement to expand access to contraception in underserved communities in Africa and Asia. Under the agreement,  UNFPA will provide $2.5million worth of family planning supplies to MSI programmes around the world. The supplies will be used in MSI programmes in a number of countries including Sierra Leone, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Nepal and Tanzania.

Read the full Article at the MSI website.

Source:  Marie Stopes

Strengthening Advocacy Capacity and Leadership

September 2, 2009 at 4:24 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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Nineteen participants from twelve different countries in the Asia and the Pacific (Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Philippines, India, Nepal, China, Malaysia and Pakistan) gathered on August 6th and 7th in Bali, Indonesia to take part in a two day workshop to strengthen their capacity in advocacy and leadership on Reproductive Health (RH) Supplies prior to the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Indonesia (ICAAP) in August 2009.

Organized by the Asia Pacific Alliance (APA) for ICPD, Family Planning International, and the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) under Project RMA, the workshop was designed to contribute to efforts to strengthen the political and financial environment for access to RH Supplies in the Asia and Pacific Regions by supporting and fostering NGO leadership and strengthening NGO advocacy capacity for the 9th ICAAP. Other organizations, such as IPPF South Asia and Population Action International also provided technical assistance.

Through discussions and interactive role play, participants learned about the situation, needs and diversity of RH supply challenges in the Asia and Pacific Regions, improved their understanding of the linkages between reproductive health supplies and internationally agreed development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals and the role of RH supplies in achieving goals. Furthermore, participants strengthened their advocacy skills and developed key messages on meeting the reproductive health targets of the ICPD Programme of Action and the MDGs.

DSW presented the key findings of its regional mapping. Based on these facts and figures, the group started to discuss RH supplies issues in the region that need to be addressed. In working groups participants identified actions that need to be taken in order to create a supportive environment for supplies in the region. Subsequently, resources, such as the RH supplies advocacy toolkit and the RHInterchange, and opportunities, such as RHSC membership and international development goals review meetings, to address these issues were presented and discussed.

Three days after the workshop the participants applied their new skills and knowledge during the ICAAP.

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ICAAP: Call for stronger Commitment to Universal Access

August 24, 2009 at 3:52 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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icaapMore than 3000 delegates took part in the 9th International Congress on AIDS in the Asia and Pacific which was held from August 9th – 13th 2009 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. The theme of this year’s ICAAP was „Empowering People, Strengthening Networks”.

The opening included calls for a strengthened commitment to achieving Universal Access and providing prevention, care, support and treatment for those who need it most. During the following days 150 presentations in five plenary sessions, three keynote speeches, 24 symposiums, and 31 skill buildings took place. Furthermore 339 oral presentations were held and 1122 posters presented.

15 countries (Australia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, India, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Switzerland. Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) took part in the Asia Pacific Village. The Asia Pacific Village was open to the public to draw public attention through interactive discussions, media campaign, and art and cultural performances.

Indonesian First Lady and AIDS Ambassador, Her Excellency Hj. Ani Bambang Yudhoyono, and other AIDS Ambassadors urged nations to work towards implementing the Declaration of Commitment adopted at the UN General Assembly Special Session on AIDS in 2001 and the Political Declaration of 2006, despite the pressures of the global economic crisis.

To get daily highlights, speeches, press releases, community forum voices, media resources and official photos of ICAAP visit the 9th ICAAP Virtual Media Center.

Source: ICAAP press releases

APA to Make the Case for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Asia and the Pacific at NGO Forum in Berlin

August 24, 2009 at 10:07 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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apa4NGO speakers will put the case for increased resources for sexual and reproductive health and rights in developing countries of Asia and the Pacific. Despite significant economic growth in many countries of the region, and moves by some donors to phase out, there is a still an urgent need to support sexual and reproductive health and rights in Asia and the Pacific. Much of the work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals – in particular MDG 5 – remains unfinished. The panel will look at innovative ways to engage donors, and present evidence of significant unmet need, high maternal mortality and poor access to reproductive health supplies in several Asia-Pacific countries.

The satellite meeting will be moderated by Dr Gill Greer, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, with speakers Sumie Ishii (Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning), Sivananthi Thanenthiran (ARROW), Atashendartini Habsjah (Women’s Health Foundation, Indonesia), Jo Spratt (Family Planning International, NZ) and Jane Singleton (Australian Reproductive Health Alliance).

The Satellite Meeting will be held on Tuesday 1 September 2009 from 2.00 to 3.30pm, as part of ‘Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development’ in Berlin.

The meeting is co-hosted by Asia Pacific Alliance (APA) and The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW)

For more info contact Rose Koenders at APA.

Advocacy Training on August 6 -7 2009 (Bali, Indonesia)

April 7, 2009 at 12:19 pm | Posted in Project RMA | Leave a comment
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SAVE THE DATE!

Advocacy Training on August 6 -7 2009 (Bali,

Indonesia)

“HIV Prevention, Reproductive Health Supplies,

and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

in the Asia and Pacific Regions”

This is to inform you about a two-day advocacy training to strengthen capacity of civil society on reproductive health (RH) supplies advocacy in the Asia and Pacific Regions, ahead of the International Congress on AIDS in the Asia and Pacific Regions 2009 (9th ICAAP, August 9-13 2009, Nusa Dua, Bali).

Jointly convened by the Asia Pacific Alliance (APA), its member organization Family Planning International (FPI) New Zealand and the German Foundation for World Population (DSW), this meeting aims to contribute to a supportive political and financial environment for access to RH supplies in the Asia and Pacific Regions by promoting and fostering NGO leadership and strengthening the advocacy capacity of its participants on the issue. The training will be held prior to ICAAP and aims to address the linkages between HIV prevention and SRHR programs and the major role RH supplies can play in this context.

The main objectives are:

  • Increase understanding of the situation, needs and diversity of reproductive health supply challenges in the Asia and Pacific Regions;
  • Improve understanding of the linkages between RH supplies and internationally agreed development goals, such as the MDGs, and the role of RH supplies in preventing HIV;
  • Strengthen advocacy skills and develop key messages to be used during the 9th ICAAP on meeting the RH targets of the ICPD Programme of Action and the MDGs;
  • Provide advocacy tools to strengthen the capacity of NGOs to advocate for increased support for RH supplies;
  • Ensure RH supplies solutions are included in the closing summaries of the 9th ICAAP.

APA, FPI and DSW have been raising awareness on the importance of RH supplies through “Project Resource Mobilization and Awareness” (Project RMA). Project RMA is a partnership of the German Foundation for World Population (DSW), Population Action International (PAI) and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and aims to create an environment conducive to political support and to secure increased financial resources for reproductive health supplies. With the support of Project RMA, APA and FPI strengthen the advocacy efforts for increased access to RH supplies at the regional level in the Asia and Pacific Regions.

Please send an email to Sabine Weber to receive an application questionnaire, and a criteria list including logistical information. (Deadline for Application: April 27th 2009).

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