OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY: GBV Campaign in Jericho
Al-Ayyam reported on 11 December about the festival on GBV as part of the 16-day campaign to combat violence against women, which was organized on 10 December by MIFTAH in Jericho and funded by UNFPA. Attendees included womens’ organizations, journalists, and senior officials. Read in Arabic: Al-Ayyam
MALAWI: The faces of fistula
The Nation on 11 December reported that UNFPA in Malawi conducted a fistula camp at Thyolo hospital. According to UNFPA, every minute, one woman dies and another 20 suffer from a devastating disability, including obstetric fistula. Fistula is prevalent where maternal death is highest, especially where emergency obstetric care, referral systems and infrastructure are poor.
UNFPA Malawi Reproductive Health Officer Grace Hiwa said 53 women had their fistulas repaired during the camp held in Thyolo. In 2011, 107 women were repaired in Malawi with the assistance of UNFPA. Hiwa said UNFPA also funds a project at Nkhoma Hospital in Lilongwe where women are constantly repaired.
According to the UNFPA, research findings show that obstetric fistula is excessively high where women lack education, economic autonomy, decision-making power and access to appropriate reproductive health services, including emergency obstetric care. Furthermore, maternal health is closely linked to social context and cultural norms and behaviours. Read in English: The Nation
URUGUAY: Census data will be used georeferentially
The TV programme “La sed y el agua” of Canal 5 TV aired on 11 December an interview with UNFPA Representative Fernando Filgueira on how Census’ data could be used to understand demographic trends in the country. For instance, last year for the first time in the last decade, the migration rate turned out to be positive. New technologies used in this Census are allowing to have data almost in real time. Most importantly, the data gathered by Census could be used georeferentially allowing a substantial improvement of policies at the different governmental levels (national, departmental and regional).