NO. 218 AUGUST 1992.pdf

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extracted text
No. 218 August 1992

ISSN 0911-0755

.lOICFPNEWS
3

One Environment for All
Linkages among population, development and environment stressed at Tokyo symposium
“The UN Conference on Environment
and Development (Earth Summit)
marked thefirst step for all nations to sit
down together and begin working on
joint solutions to environmental prob­
lems saidKazuoAichi, former minister,
Environment Agency, and member,
Global Legislators Organization for a
Balanced Environment (GLOBE). The
keynote speaker at the Special Sympo­
sium to Commemorate World Population
Day, Aichi warned that there will be
no permanent solution to environmental
problems as long as there are human
beingspopulating the earth. Emphasizing
the importance of concrete action on
the environment, Aichi said that Japan
brought to the summit many substantial
commitments to protecting the environ­
ment. “Much of the impact of these
commitments, however, was lost because
the prime minister was not there in
person.” Aichisaid that nearly everyone
he spoke with in Brazil had large
expectations of Japanese financial and
technical assistance.
Under the theme of “Population and
Environment — the Role of Japan”, the
symposium included panel discussions,
a film showing and a question and answer
session. It was held on July 9 in Tokyo
ahead of World Population Day on July
11. Organized by the Council on
Population Education, JOICFP and the
IP Forum with the support of UNFPA, it
was attended by people from the
population and environmental fields, the
public and the mass media. Some 400
people turned out for the event.
“The secretary general of the summit,
Maurice Strong, spoke of the two
Japanese miracles: achieving economic
growth and regulating pollution,” said
Aichi. “Japan must recognize this
remarkable success and take a global
leadership role in environmental issues.”
The parliamentarian said that too often
environmental and population issues are
tackled by governments only when a
serious problem already exists. To be
effective, preventive measures to protect

1

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St
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Destruction of forestland in the mountains of Bhutan.

the environment should be incorporated
into governmental policies before damage
occurs, he stressed. “It is also time to
reassess the meaning of national
boundaries in terms of the global
environment,” he said. “One country should
be able to make suggestions to another
country since, after all, we are all citizens
of the same earth.”

Environmental Issues
One of the highlights of the symposium
was the showing of The Earth and the
Environment, a film documenting envi­
ronmental destruction in different parts of
the world. Produced by Sakura Motion
Picture Co., Ltd. for lay audiences, the film
vividly portrayed a variety ofenvironmental
problems including the thinning of the
ozone layer, global warming and acid rain.
A major part of the symposium was a
panel discussion featuring four experts.

Moderated by Dr. Michio Hashimoto,
president, Overseas Environmental
Cooperation Center, and counselor,
JOICFP, the panel discussion included
contributions from Takeshi Hara, chief
editor, Science Department, Mainichi
Shimbun (newspaper); Akihiko Yoshida,
professor, Sanno Junior College; Mihoko
Ejiri, professor, Tsuda College, and Shinichi Yagi, deputy executive director,
JOICFP.
Having participated in the Earth
Summit, panelist Hara commented that
Maurice Strong had outlined several
priority actions that need to be taken on
the environment. Among these, he
stressed that people of industrialized
nations must reassess and adjust their
lifestyles; the gap between rich and poor
must be bridged to give developing
nations development options apart than
those that damage the environment; and
population increases, especially in
1

Symposium

Development
& Environment

View of the panel discussion at the Tokyo symposium.

developing countries, must be eased.
One of the positive features of the
summit, he said, was the presence of
some 20,000 representatives of 7,500
NGOs. However, he regretted that despite
this large turnout, population issues were
not refened to in the joint declaration
of these organizations.
During discussions, panelist Yoshida
emphasized the significant impact that
grassroot projects can have on the
environment. To demonstrate his point,
the panelist presented a case study of a
grape cultivation project implemented in
the Nordeste region of Brazil.

By offering employment to local
community people in the impoverished,
densely populated area, the scheme has
helped stem the destruction of Amazon
forests and resulting desertification
caused by poor farmers seeking new
farmlands, and slowed the flow of
unemployed people to slum areas in Sad
Paulo. The project has also contributed
to improving the position of women in
the area by providing them with an
independent source of income, he said.
Yoshida said that there is a role for
Japan to play in fostering such projects

access to FP services, Ejiri stressed that it
is a woman’s right to decide on the number
of children she will have. “At present, the
Japanese government is encouraging
women to have more children, but should
the huge world population be increased
just because Japan wants more people?”
In summing up the panel discussion,
panelist Yagi offered four practical means
to promote a successful FP project. First,
a project must be designed to answer the
needs of the people, while respecting their
choice of lifestyles. If this is done, the
people will recognize the project as their
own and contribute funds and labor to
make it a success. Second, efforts must be
made to develop human resources through
such means as the training of community
leaders. Third, the people should not be
told to decrease population numbers but
encouraged to improve the quality of their
lives. If the quality of life improves,
population growth will ease. Fourth, selfreliance should be a goal of any project.
The opinions of the panelists sparked a
number of comments and questions from
the audience in the lively question and
answer session. One elderly member of
the audience expressed his hope that global
leaders take population issues more
seriously. “Action now is essential since
further population increases will only re­

and in providing a market for produce

sult in more pollution, more food shortages

environmental policy for the next

and products. “Japan can provide
technology and training to project
personnel to improve the quality of
products so as to make them more
marketable,” he said.
The consequences of rapid population
growth in developing countries was the
focus of points made by panelist Ejiri,
who said that throughout the world
many people do not have the basic human
right to health. Calling for increased

and ultimately, more wars,” he said.
In a fitting end to the symposium, one
of Japan’s most senior FP pioneers, Shidzue
Kato, president, Family Planning Fed­
eration of Japan, and vice president,
JOICFP, offered comments on the content
of Japan’s global contributions. Urging
increased assistance, she said that Japan
has much to offer, both in terms of successes
and failures when transferring experiences
to other countries.
[T]

generation. If we have learned any lesson
from the last decade, it is that there are at
least four ingredients to lowering fertility:
raising incomes, particularly incomes of
women; educating women; making
family planning (FP) services available
and lowering child mortality.
I hope that in the 1990s we will see
the World Bank get into emphasizing
reductions in child and maternal
mortality, FP and raising incomes, g]

Grassroots Projects

2

The WorldDevelopment Report 1992
- Development and the Environment is
the 15th in an annual series published by
the World Bank. The director of this
year’s report, Dr. Andrew Steer, spoke at
Keidanren (Japan Federation of
Economic Organizations) on July 15.
Below are highlights ofhis presentation.
Today, there are more poor people in
the world than ever before because of
rapid population growth. The period
between 1990 - 2030 will be quite
unprecedented in its challenges. The
rapid population growth that we will see
in this period will be like none in history.
Industrial output in developing countries
will be six times what it is today; bad
news if environmental destruction grows
at the same rate at which it is growing
today. But
this appalling
environmen­
tal scenario
need not hap­
pen and won’t
happen if
policies are
set in place.
There are
Andrew Steer
two causes of
environmen­
tal problems: lack of development or too
much of the wrong kind of economic
growth. There are many investments that
are good for the environment, that have
very high economic rates of return and
have very high environmental returns.
The World Bank is calling for funding
of family planning (FP) programs to be
increased from the present US$4.6 billion
spent annually to reach between US$12.5
billion and 13 billion in the next decade.
We will, I trust, be more aggressive in
funding population programs. But FP
programs are ineffective without edu­
cation for women. In fact, women’s
education may be the most important

iJ

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JOICFP NEWS, August 1992

VDIA Scheme

Benefits at Home and Abroad
J01CFP allocated donations from Japanese public for grassroots projects in six countries
Over 6 million Japanese people have
now endorsed an innovative scheme
administered by the Ministry of Posts
and Telecommunications to bring
assistance to people at the grassroots in
developing countries. At the end ofMarch
this year, the Japanese public had opened
a remarkable 6.74
million accounts at post
offices across the
country to support the
Voluntary Deposit for
International
Aid
(VDIA) scheme. Under
the scheme, launched in
January 1991, holders
of VDIA accounts agree
to donate 20% of the
interest on their savings
to support Japanese
non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)
conducting projects in cooperation with
counterpart NGOs in developing
countries. During the 1991 fiscal year
(April 1,1991 - March 31,1992), a total
of ¥2.32 billion (US$18 million at an
exchange rate of ¥129 to US$1) was
collected from account holders for
allocation. The amount is more than

Li

The Ngwenya Men’s Club in the IP
area of Fiwale, Zambia, were among
the recipients of materials and
equipment purchased with VDIA funds
allocated in the last fiscal year. The
provision of the tools, which have been
utilized to train the men in carpentry
skills for income generation, has
stimulated men in surrounding villages
to establish similar clubs. In addition,
women’s and men’s clubs and village
associations in Fiwale, Kabushi and
Kapata have received seeds,
pesticides, fertilizers, cooking utensils,
fishing nets, cloth and knitting yarn to
support nutrition promotion and
income-generating activities at the
grassroots in project areas.
JOICFP NEWS, August 1992

double the ¥1.04 billion (US$8.07million)
in official development assistance (ODA)
provided to NGOs by the Japanese
government in fiscal 1992.
The overwhelming response to the
scheme demonstrates the willingness of
the public in Japan to reach out to people in
developing countries. It is
also an indication of the
increased awareness of the
needs of people living in this
part of the world and the
effective role that NGOs can
play in answering demands
at the community level.
Despite the grassroots
orientation of the scheme,
administration of funds and
coordination of projects are
handled by VDIA personnel
at the ministry, a feature that
assures contributors that
donations are properly administered. In
return for contributing to the fund, account
holders are kept up to date on the progress
of the activities that they are funding with
reports sent from the field.
The ministry announced on June 19
that JOICFP would be one of the major
recipients out of a total of 185 Japanese
NGOs to receive VDIA funds.
Accordingly, JOICFP was provided with
a total of ¥53.741 million (US$416,600)
on June 25 to support six projects being
implemented in six countries.
A total of 250 projects in 49 countries
were approved for VDIA funding in fiscal
1992. Of the funds received by JOICFP,
¥8.013 million (US$62,100) has been
allocated to Brazil; ¥9.050 million
(US$70,200) to Guatemala; ¥10.891
million (US$84,400) to Mexico; ¥5.215
million (US$40,400) to Nepal; ¥9.471
million (US$73,400) to Tanzania; and
¥11.101 million (US$86,100) to Zambia.
At present, JOICFP is implementing
the Integrated Project (IP) to promote family
planning (FP), maternal and child health
(MCH), primary health care and com­
munity development in 24 countries in
the Asian, African and Latin American
regions. Funds supplied through the
VDIA scheme are being used to purchase
equipment and materials, support training
and cover the costs of the dispatch of
technical experts to project areas to
strengthen the activities of the IP.
As the VDIA scheme continues to
gather steam within Japan, awareness of

APROFAIH

Prizes for children’s handwashing
contests produced in Guatemala
with VDIA funds.

the gap between the north and the south
is growing among the Japanese public,
while benefits are being shared with
people in the developing world. Since
last year, the number of account holders
has almost tripled from the 2.12 million
of March 1991. Meanwhile, the amount
collected from depositors for allocation
in fiscal 1992 has almost doubled from
the ¥1.1 billion (US$8.53 million)
allocated in 1991.
[T]

ii

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SS

I

Yasuo Kon, deputy executive director,
JOICFP (right), receives official
notification of VDIA funding from Giju
Ogiwara, director, Ushigome Post Office,
in Tokyo on June 25.

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3

Latin America

Looking to
Youth for
Answers
Guidelines for IEC materials
and activities produced at
adolescent health meeting
The importance of involving
adolescents in the production and
pretesting of IEC materials for adoles­
cent health education was emphasized at
the first Latin American Meeting on the
Health ofAdolescents, held in Sad Paulo,
Brazil, from June 15 - 19. Participants
stressed that IEC materials developed
with input from the target group
(teenagers) will have a greater impact
and be more effective in changing
behavior. Moreover, it was recommended
that parents, educators and the
community as a whole should also be
involved in IEC material production and
education programs on adolescent
health. Noting that the attitudes of
parents often pose an obstacle to the
promotion of reproductive health,
participants emphasized that education
activities should be aimed at changing
the attitudes of this group and winning
parental support for programs.
Attended by representatives of
government and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), the workshop was
organized by Centro Matemo-Infantil
Planejamento Familiar (CMI-PF) in
cooperation with JOICFP and UNFPA.
The 90 or so participants came from
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba,
Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru.
Representatives of international agencies
including UNFPA, IPPF and PAHO and
various resource persons also attended.
The workshop provided Latin
American representatives from the

A youth group in Monte Azul
dramatizes the AIDS issue.

4

Children study reproductive health at a Catholic-run center in Paraisopolis.

adolescent health field with a forum to
discuss different aspects of adolescent
health, including pregnancy and
contraception and the prevention of
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and
AIDS. As a result, participants produced
concrete guidelines for the creation of IEC
materials for adolescent reproductive
health as well as instruction manuals to
support the teaching process, and
developed an outline for educators.

IEC Materials
According to the guidelines produced
at the workshop, IEC materials for
teenagers should ideally stress visuals,
have a clear, positive message, be attractive
to the target group and be aimed at
encouraging interaction among teenagers,
educators and parents. It was also agreed
that the education process should be used
to strengthen the adolescent’s self-esteem
through a project to improve the quality of
life in which the adolescent may act as the
agent responsible for such changes. To
maximize the effectiveness of activities,
participants recognized the active role that
the ministries of education of each country
can play both in the classroom and the
community in expanding awareness of
adolescent health issues.
Another positive outcome of the
workshop was the establishment of a Latin
American network for the exchange of
information and experiences on adolescent
health. It was agreed that CMI-PF would
function as the coordinating body for this
exchange network and begin by compiling
a list of concerned institutions.
During a field trip to Monte Azul, a
slum area in Sad Paulo, participants
observed an educational drama produced
by a young people’s group. The play,
which dramatized such issues as AIDS

prevention, was attended by young
people, parents and other members of the
community. Workshop participants saw
another example of effective interaction
among teenagers and the community at
the Engeneiro Goulart Health Center run
by the Sad Paulo State Health Secre­
tariat. The center, in cooperation with
parents and teachers, operates outreach
teams that provide parasite control and
reproductive health education services
at elementary schools. Another facility
visited by the group was a community
assistance center run by a Hungarian
Catholic organization which offers
vocational training for young people.
To answer demands of the community,
the center provides family planning (FP)
and adolescent health counseling for
youths.
The workshop also gave participants
an opportunity to share experiences
through country presentations. In
particular, participants were impressed
with some of the features of programs in
Guatemala where adolescent health has
recently begun to receive serious
attention. Under the Commission of the
Adolescent (CONAD), set up by the
government to coordinate programs in
this field, collaboration between

'' PRESIDENTE

UNpPa

Pablo Villanueva, country director,
UNFPA, Brazil, with participants.
JOICFPNEWS, August 1992

In the News

Health by the People
Monitoring of IP in Tanzania reveals active community participation

Elementary school children at an
adolescent health class organized by
the Engeneiro Goulart Health Center.

government and NGOs has already
flourished. Participants were also given
a case study of the El Camino Center for
Adolescents run by the FP Association
of Guatemala (APROFAM), which has
been offering healthcare, counseling
and education services for 11 years, and
were provided with an outline of the
innovative “Education and Enter­
tainment” strategy.
The efforts made at the workshop to
create substantial programs and IEC
materials for adolescent health promo­
tion underscored the importance that
has been placed on issues such as teen­
age pregnancy and STDs in the region.
Adolescent health will be one of the
main topics to be discussed at the Meeting
of First Ladies of Latin America
scheduled to be held in Colombia in
September to which JOICFP is invited to
be a participant.
[j]

Applause for
Animated Film
A JOICFP animated film was welcomed
as an appropriate IEC material for
adolescent health education from
participants of a workshop organized
by Johns Hopkins University. The
third film in JOICFP’s animated series
for adolescent health, Best Wishes
concerns the struggle of a young Latin
American couple to build an equal
relationship. The film, a colorful 14minute animation, raises such issues
as women’s financial independence,
family planning and male-female roles.
It is aimed to be used by trained
instructors to initiate discussions with
adolescents. Participants of the
Advances in
Family Health
Communication Workshop, held at
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
U.S.A., from June 8 - 26, were also
given an outline of JOICFP and its
activities including the use of parasite
control activities as an IEC strategy to
create awareness of health issues in
communities. Ashowingofthesecond
film in the series, Music for Two, was
also held at the workshop.
JOICFP NEWS, August 1992

Thefindings ofa monitoring mission of
the Tanzanian Integrated Project (IP)
indicated that the IP “has contributed
positively to increased use of
contraceptives within the project zones
and to a growing number ofpeople reached
through information, education and
counseling activities.” Dr. T. Mariama
Barry, program officer, Service Delivery,
Africa Regional Office, IPPF, monitored
progress in the two villages in Masama
and the Tanganyka Planting Company
(TPC) suger cane plantation camps in
Kilimanjaro region where the IP is being
implemented by UMATI (Family Planning
Association ofTanzania) while in Tanzania
from March 29 - April 4.
One of the key aspects of the project
noted by Barry in her report was the high
level of community participation in project
activities. “In Kilimanjaro region, accep­
tance and understanding of the validity of
the IP by local government, political and
village authorities, and the sugar cane
plantation management seem to have been
well established over the years from the
time the project was initiated,” she said.

Contributions of Community
The community contributes by
providing free services, workers and
volunteers to distribute contraceptives and
run health education campaigns,” she said.
Donations of reconditioned bicycles and
sewing machines and modest financial
assistance has also done much to mobilize
the community, she added.
Barry noted that between 1984 - 1991,
the contraceptive prevalence rate rose
from 27 % to 65 % in TPC and from 9.3 % to
51% in Masama. She attributed the rise to
three factors: accessibility of services at
the community level; a better understanding
and acceptance of the project by com­
munities through awareness-creation
activities; and well-motivated distribution
and education by community agents.
In her examination of FP services, Barry
noted that attendance at the UMATI clin­
ics was high and that a varied choice of
contraceptives was available to clients.
However, to further enhance the quality of
services, Barry recommended the intro­
duction of a simpler and more flexible data
collection system to make the staff’s work
easier, and suggested a more thorough
supervision and follow-up system for
clients who stop receiving services.

J
Im
Traditional birth attendants join a
community effort to improve the
water supply in Mabogini.

Commenting that the clinics offer good
services with competent and well-trained
personnel, Barry recommended that a
system be set in place to evaluate the
performance of project personnel.
Parasite control, which is used as an
entry point to motivate the people win
the confidence of the community in the
project, was also singled out by Barry as
an area deserving more attention. While
noting that efforts to educate the
community on personal and environ­
mental hygiene are continuing through
the community agents and health centers,
Barry stressed that “Emphasis should be
laid on parasite control and the
development of the nutrition program.”
In summing up her report, Barry
stated, “For the past nine years, UMATI
has succeeded in demonstrating that the
IP approach represents a good strategy
through which communities can be
appropriately mobilized into taking
charge of their health needs.”
[j]

TFR of Japan
Hits Low 1.53
Japan’s total fertility rate (TFR) hit
an all-time low of 1.53 in 1991,
according to the annual demographic
report of the Health and Welfare
Ministry.
At 1.53, Japan’s TFR ranks the third
lowest among industrialized countries
after Italy’s 1.29 and Germany’s 1.39.
The previous record low was set in
1990 at 1.54.
The birthrate per 1,000 people
dropped to 9.9 in 1991, to mark an
annual drop of 0.1, according to the
report.

5

Views

A Role for
Men in FP
Promotion
Ghana IP aims to stimulate
male participation in project
Dr. Reginald K. Anteson, associate
professor, Ghana Medical School, and
chairman, National Steering Committee
ofthe Integrated Project (IP), spoke with
JOICFP NEWS on July 20 about the
progress of the IP in Ghana. Below is an
outline of his interview.
Before the IP is started in any
locality, IP personnel go to the area and
speak to the chief or community leaders.
The chief is told what is going to take
place and what the benefits will be for the
village people, and is asked to contribute
to the project. It is impossible to go into
a village and do something without first
seeing the so-called “father of the village.”
The chief cannot be bypassed because he
is the one with the power and resources to
call the village together and disseminate
information.
Our society is a male-dominated
society. A woman cannot easily make
decisions without the consent of her
husband. With family planning (FP),
women are approached first, because as

Dr. Reginald K. Anteson

women they are directly involved with
bearing and raising children. They are
approached by IP staff and told that by
spacing the births of their babies, the
children they have will live longer and
will help them with farm work longer. The
women then go to their husbands and tell
them about what they have learned.
It takes a while to get men involved,
especially in FP, but this is what we are
trying to do with the “daddies’clubs.” One
of the ideas of these clubs is to form
cohesive men’s groups that can be
approached and “energized” to take part in
the IP. Gradually we are seeing more men
coming around to the idea of FP.
The IP in Ghana has been very effective
for motivating the community people. One
of the main reasons for this may be that it
introduces activities and services that
improve the health and way of life of the

people. Once they are made to understand
the importance of taking care of their
health through parasite control (PC)
activities, they accept the project and
take an active part. Naturally, PC leads to
environmental sanitation. Through the
IP, community cleaning competitions are
organized. As a result, the people enjoy
a cleaner community, improved toilet
facilities and decreased parasite infection.
Home visits are very important for
FP promotion because they give the
community-based distribution (CBD)
agents an opportunity to give advice about
FP and demonstrate benefits directly to
the people. We have found this personto-person approach very effective. Direct
contacts with groups such as men’s and
women’s groups can also have a positive
impact, especially once the people have
been sensitized to the information through
personal contacts.
Income-generating activities are
geared towards raising funds for the IP to
enable it to be self-reliant in the future. A
little seed money is necessary to begin
income-generating activities such as
“gari” (processed cassava) production,
“weanimix” (infant food supplement)
service and bakery projects. We recently
received a donation of sneakers from
JOICFP, and instead of just giving the
shoes away, we asked people to make
small financial contributions to the
project. With the funds raised through
this, we will be able to start other income­
generating activities.
[j]

In Support of Self-reliance
“The Japanese health system is like
no other health system in the world,”
said Dr. Carlos Contreras, director,
Medical Services Unit, Family Planning
Association ofGuatemala (APROFAM),
who took part in a two-day field trip to
Shizuoka Prefecture from July 17 -19.
Contreras, who observed health
promotion activities at Numazu Public
Health Center, said he was impressed
with coordination among local govern­
ment, schools, businesses and the com­
munity in health promotion activities.
The government-run health center
also interested Dr. Reginald K. Anteson,
associate professor, Ghana Medical
School, and chairman. National Steering
Committee of the Integrated Project (IP),
who joined Contreras on the field trip.
Noting the efficiency of the mass health
checkups for 3-year-old children he
observed at the center, Anteson com6

mented that the Japanese healthcare system
was operated on the concept of
comprehensive care, beginning with care
for infants. “People are grateful for having
good health and are willing to do anything
to maintain it,” he said.
The two visitors were also given
insights into the activities of a self-reliant
Japanese non-governmental organization
(NGO) in Shizuoka City where they visited
the Shizuoka Health Service Association,
an NGO providing preventive healthcare
services on a fee-charged basis in
coordination with the local government.
Anteson noted that the association began
activities with parasite control and later
expanded into broader preventive health
fields. “The people were so happy after
receiving treatment for parasites that they
were willing to pay for services and enabled
the association to operate on a self-reliant
basis,” he added.

Anteson (right) and Contreras observe
checkups for 3-year-olds in Numazu.

The observation of the activities of a
self-sustained NGO was also a highlight
of the field trip for Contreras who said
that self-reliance was one of the goals of
the IP in Guatemala. “At present we
depend on agencies for contributions,
but who knows how long this will last?”
he said. “That is why we are making
special efforts to develop the self-reliance
of the project.”
[T]
JOICFP NEWS, August 1992

Exchanges

Broader FP Perspectives
Bangladesh puts quality FP services and education high on agenda
Dr A. J. Faisel, medical and program
advisor, Bangladesh Program, Asia
Regional Office, Association for Volun­
tary Surgical Contraception (AVSC),
visited JOICFP on July 2 and spoke
aboutfamily planning (FP) and maternal
and child health (MCH) in Bangladesh.
Below are highlights of his interview.
Since independence, each successive
government has emphasized population
as the number one issue. Today, the FP
program is really an integrated MCHbasedFP program. However, in the early
1970s the program was mostly based on
sterilization and the popularity of this
method peaked around 1984- 1985. By
that time the non-governmental organ­
izations (NGOs) had started establishing
community-based distribution programs
involving pill promotion, condom
distribution and the motivation of women
for injectables from small, rural clinics.
At present, injectables and pills are the
most popular contraceptive methods,
followed by the IUD and sterilization.
Around 1984, about 550,000
sterilizations were performed annually.

Now annual sterilizations number between
100,000 - 140,000. One of the major
reasons for the decrease in popularity of
sterilization is the lack of service quality.
When one woman has a problem with
sterilization, she spreads the news in her
village that sterilization is not a good
method. But it is not just with sterilization
that poor service quality is a problem. A
recentjoint A VSC-govemment assessment
found that the entire FPprogram is affected
by a lack of quality of services. One of the
biggest issues is training. Doctors, nurses
and paramedics all need training on
infection prevention and on how to provide
aseptic, safe, quality services.
Another obstacle to FP promotion is
the low literacy rate. Overall it is about
24%. For women it is less at about 14 15%, and for village women it is far lower.
The low literacy rate also means that many
IEC materials are not very effective.
Therefore, the major way of com­
municating with the people is through
personal contact, either one-to-one
communication or group communication.
Thus, each FP field worker has recently

been given an additional responsibility
of educating at least two illiterate
mothers in his or her locality.
From what I learned in Japan I think
there are two major take-home messages.
First, it is important to start a program
with something simple that is easily
understood by the people and that is easy
to operate and manage. Second,
community participation is vital. Without
community interest or the participation
of the community in a program, I don’t
think a program can be sustained or can
bring any results. Community par­
ticipation is the key element in the
programs of JOICFP and the whole
Hoken Kaikan Group.
[J

Japan s rich experiences in commu­
nity-based family planning (FP),
maternal and child health (MCH) and
primary health care activities were a
source of inspiration for 10 members of
K .
a Chinese mission in Japan for a
parasite control (PC) seminar from June
29 - July 12. The mission comprised
management staff from ongoing IP
areas and representatives ofthe Depart­
ment of Science and Technology and
Department of Foreign Affairs, State Chinese mission members observe
Family Planning Commission (FPC) and public health checkups inTowaTown.
Institute ofParasitic Diseases, Academy
of Preventive Medicines ofChina. It was of making community people aware of
headed by Dr. Wang Ruiqing, deputy other health issues. “The results of parasite
examination and treatment are both visible
director, FPC, Jilin Province.
Over the two weeks, the visitors were and immediate, making people aware of
given intensive training in such fields as health issues and paving the way for such
PC, FP and MCH and introduced to pre­ activities as FP promotion,” he said.
ventive healthcare in Japan which was
Sponsored by the Sasakawa Memorial
established in the postwar years. Noting Health Foundation, the seminar was
that PC activities formed the basis of conducted by the Japan Association of
preventive healthcare in Japan, Wang Parasite Control (JAPC) in cooperation
commented that PC is an effective way with JOICFP.

A field trip to Fukushima Prefecture
enabled participants to observe presentday preventive health activities and speak
to staff and volunteers promoting
healthcare in the community. During
time spent in the Nihonmatsu district,
the mission visited a local public health
center, primary school, sewage disposal
center, waste collection and treatment
center, public water sanitation system
and a local farm house. They also
observed the activities of a private health
service association which is contracted
by the local government and businesses
to provide preventive healthcare services
including health checkups on a feecharged basis in cooperation with
community volunteers.
Commenting on what he had learned
in Japan, Wang said that the trip had
demonstrated the important role that
private organizations such as FP
associations, women’s and youth
associations as well as labor unions can
play in the promotion of FP in China.
Due to budget constraints, there is no
formal plan to initiate the IP in Jilin
Province. However, Wang said he hoped
that a pilot project implemented on a
self-reliant basis could be initiated in his
province in the future.
[J]

A Learning
Experience

JOICFP NEWS, August 1992

Dr. A. J. Faisel

7

Voice of Voices
By Chojiro Kunii

In Support of Self-reliance
The so-called “New Life Movement”
began in Japan during the time of severe
shortages brought about by World War
II. When the war ended, the farmers
started a movement to eradicate
mosquitoes, fleas and flies. The
spectacular results of their simple
activities surprised everyone. Without
the irritation of insects, cows began to
produce more milk, the appetites of horses
increased and chickens started laying
more eggs. Moreover, people slept better
without the disturbance of mosquitoes
and fleas. This movement spread across
communities and became what the
government referred to as Shin-seikatsu
Undo — the “New Life Movement.”
Around that time (1949), parasite
control (PC) became a topic of interest in
Tokyo. The groups of children who
returned from evacuation were heavily
infected by roundworms. Hence, guided
by experts, a PC movement was launched
that brought cures for anemia and
stomachaches. One thing led to another
as similar movements began all over
Japan, and very soon people moved from
the prevention of stomach pains to the
quest for clean running water and sewage
treatment to prevent infectious diseases.
Dr. Noriji Suzuki, aprofessor of Kochi
Medical School, returned recently from
observing activities of the Integrated
Project (IP) in China and spoke to us
about his experiences. In a village he
visited in Yunnan Province, the
community people have reconstructed
their latrines on their own initiative. With
the methane gas collected from septic
tanks, families are generating electricity
for their homes and fueling their kitchens.
This idea has since caught on and has
been replicated in many other areas.
The cost to each household to install
such a system (about 2,500 yuan) can be
recovered within a few years. Once this
happens, the community can then invest
more money in activities such as repairing
school buildings, constructing clinics in
the villages and hiring doctors. This is
just one example of the many such
positive achievements that have been
made under the IP in China.
Amid the current wave of
modernization, China has been absorbing
many innovations from developed
countries. However, the Chinese people’s
greatest asset is their strong will and their
shared desire to improve their lives and
their society.
[j]

8

DIARY
Eleven representatives from 11 countries
attended the Seminar on Community-based FP
Strategies from May 18-June 12. The seminar
was entrusted to JOICFP by JICA.
*
*
*
JOICFP Program Officer Kiyoko Ikegami was
in Brazil to attend the Adolescent Health
Workshop and in the U.S. to attend the Advances
in Family Health Communication Workshop at
Johns Hopkins University from June 8 - 26.
*
*
*
JOICFP Deputy Executive Director Shin-ichi
Yagi was in Thailand from June 24 - 28 to
attend meetings of IPPF’s ESEAO Executive
Committee and ESEAO Regional Council.
*
*
*
Dr. A. J. Faisel, medical and program advisor,
Association for Voluntary Surgical
Contraception, Bangladesh, visited JOICFP to
exchange information on July 2.
*
*
*
Dr. Hirofumi Ando, director, Information and
External Relations Division, UNFPA, visited
JOICFP on July 1 and 3 to exchange information.

Takeo Fukuda (center) addresses the
joint meeting at JOICFP.

“The Integrated Project (IP) of
JOICFP is receiving attention around
the world as a practical approach," said
Takeo Fukuda, president, JOICFP, and
former prime minister, Japan. Speaking
at the joint meeting of JOICFP board
members, counselors and councilors,
Fukuda stressed that population and
environmental issues are two sides of
the same coin. The meeting, held on
June 19, was called to discuss policy
and the action plan for JOICFP.
Referring to the United Nations
Conference on Environment and
Development, Fukuda emphasized that
a greatercontribution is expected from
Japan in the field of population. “As a
leading non-governmental organization
in this field, JOICFP will be expected to
take on a greater role in the non­
governmental sector,” he said.
Fukuda said that Japan will have to
take on the challenges presented by
population and environmental issues
to fulfill its global responsibilities. Noting
shared objectives with such agencies
as UNFPA, IPPF, UNICEF, the World
Bank and WHO, he said that Japan will
be working in close collaboration with
these agenciesto achieve shared goals.

Japanese Ambassador to Honduras
Takashi Miyazaki (left) with JOICFP
Chairman Chojiro Kunii during a
meeting at JOICFP on July 10. The
ambassador visited JOICFP to
exchange information on family
planning and maternal and child
health with JOICFP officers.

JOICFP DOCUMENTARY SERIES
NEW DOCUMENTARY FILM

The Awaking Kowloon
Village Women in Vietnam
30 min., color/Vietnamese, Japanese

Despite the many years that have passed
since the end of the Vietnam War, the people of
Tan Buu Commune still have no bridge to
replace the one that was destroyed in a bombing
raid. Each day, children cross the river by boat
to go to school along with women volunteers
who promote family planning and maternal and
child health among the community people.
The Awaking Kowloon — Village Women in
Vietnam documents the struggle of the Tan
Buu people to rebuild their bridge and the vital
role that women play as agents of change.
Distributed by

Sakura Motion Picture Co., Ltd
STANDARD BLDG., 22-1, NISHI-SHINJUKU 1-CHOME
SHINJUKU-KU, TOKYO 160, JAPAN TEL: 03-3342-5768
Cable:"SAKURA MOVIES TOKYO7Telex:J34799 ITCINBTH
|

16mm/VTR (Beta, VHS/NTSC, PAI., SECAM)

|

NOTICE
JOICFP is closed every Saturday
and Sunday as of July ‘1,1992.

JOICFP NEWS is a monthly newsletter
published by the Japanese Organization for
International Cooperation in Family Planning,
Inc. (JOICFP).
JOICFP NEWS welcomes your comments,
suggestions and contributions. Please mail to:

JOICFP NEWS
Hokcn Kaikan Bekkan
1-1, Sadohara-cho, Ichigaya
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162 Japan
Phone: Tokyo 3268-5875
Telex: 2324584 JOICFP J
Cable Address: JOICFP Tokyo
Facsimile: Tokyo 3235-7090
JOICFP NEWS, August 1992

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