JOICFP NEWS NO. 247 JANUARY 1995.pdf
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No. 247 January 1995
ISSN 0911-0755
JOICFP NEWS
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ollow-up for the ICPD Program of Action
Sadik outlines achievements of
Cairo and urges follow-up of
program’s recommendations
Dr. Nafis Sadik, executive director, UNFPAprovided an overview of the achievements of the
International Conference on Population and
development (ICPD) held in Cairo, Egypt, in
ptember 1994 at a special lecture meeting in
Tokyo on October 27. She also urged action to
be taken to follow up the recommendations
outlined in the Program ofAction. The
meeting, organized by Population Forum 21,
was attended by some 200 population experts,
parliamentarians, government officials,
representatives of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), the media and members
of the public. A regular event of Population
Forum 21, a forum of opinion leaders on global
issues, the meeting was chaired by forum cochair, Shinji Fukukawa. Below are highlights
of the speech by Sadik, who also serves as cochair of the forum.
The ICPD adopted a new and forwardlooking Program of Action for the next 20
years. This program is viewed by many —
onr»ecially women’s groups — as a major
akthrough in conventional thinking on
population issues. The international
community has, for the first time, gone beyond
human numbers and demographic targets and
explicitly placed human beings at the center of
all population and development activities. The
international community has acknowledged that
investing in people, in their health and
education, is the key to sustained economic
growth and sustainable development. What is
being emphasized in this program is an
approach that attacks macro problems by
addressing micro needs at the local level, taking
into account individual perspectives and needs
in policy formulation and implementation,
without undermining the responsibilities and
sovereignty of governments.
Perhaps the biggest achievement of this
conference has been the clear recognition of the
^\need to empower women both as an important
w
end in itself and as a key to improving the
quality of life for everyone. The program
acknowledges that there can be no
sustainable human development without
the full and equal participation of women
in all aspects of development. Hence, the
emphasis on gender equality in the
program. For the first time, the
empowerment of women has become an
explicit cornerstone in the formulation and
implementation of national and
international population and
development policies.
The program recognizes the need to
integrate family planning (FP) activities
into the wider context of reproductive
health. Reproductive health goes well
beyond FP in addressing the overall health
and well-being of people, particularly
women and girls. Reproductive health
care programs should be designed to serve
the needs of women and men, including
adolescents, and must involve women in the
leadership, planning, decision-making,
management, implementation, organization and
evaluation of services.
The program recognizes the reproductive
rights and reproductive health needs of
adolescents in terms of information
and services that help them attain a level
of maturity required to make
responsible decisions.
NGOs in developed and developing
countries alike have a crucial role to play in the
provision of reproductive health-care
information and services and in mobilizing
public support for such services. NGOs in
donor countries like Japan can press their
governments to fulfill their commitments made
at ICPD. I would like to note the very active
involvement of many Japanese NGOs in the
ICPD, both during the preparatory process and
the conference itself, particularly JOICFP and
Japan’s Network for Women’s Health, Cairo
’94. They have played an important role in
mobilizing support for the goals and objectives
of the ICPD.
1
Dr. Nafis Sadik, executive director, UNFPA
The significance of the ICPD will now
depend on the willingness of governments,
local communities, the NGO sector, the
international community and all other
concerned organizations and individuals to turn
the recommendations into action. The program
recommends first of all that governments, with
the assistance of NGOs and the UN system,
should give the widest possible dissemination
of the results of the ICPD and should seek
broad public support for the goals, objectives
and actions of the program. Second, all
countries are urged to establish appropriate
follow-up and monitoring mechanisms, in
partnership with NGOs, community groups and
representatives of the media and the academic
community, as well with the support of
parliamentarians.
I am confident that Population Forum 21
will play an important role in Japan in the
mobilization of broad public and political
support for the implementation of the relevant
follow-up recommendations contained
in the program.
South-to-South Cooperation
An Initiative from the South
The dramatic progress in terms of South-toSouth cooperation in the field of population and
family planning (FP) was noted by Minister of
Population of Indonesia Haryono Suyono, who
visited JOICFP on October 31. In a meeting
with JOICFP Chairman Chojiro Kunii, Haryono
provided background to the South-to-South
cooperation approach which is attracting a
growing number of developing countries. The
initiative has been actively promoted by
Indonesia under the leadership of the
population minister.
Indonesia, one of the world’s modern
success stories of FP, has had an active
population program for over 25 years. The
country has accumulated many valuable lessons
and experiences through its population
program, which involves close collaboration
between the government and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). Haryono explained that
Indonesia is eager to share these experiences
and that South-to-South cooperation is an
appropriate channel for making this
experience-sharing possible.
Indonesia has undergone significant
trial and error in its FP program, which
can be of benefit to countries in Asia and
in regions such as Latin America and
Africa, he said. Haryono explained that
South-to-South cooperation is a practical
means of mutual assistance for developing
countries since accumulated know-how
and experiences can be very relevant.
Haryono said that Indonesia has already
taken the initiative to establish an international
collaborative network. The network now
involves the nine developing countries of
Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico,
Morocco, Thailand, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, he
said. While these countries are at different
stages in their programs, there are still many
experiences that can be applied, he added.
Chojiro Kunii (left) speaks with Haryono
Suyono in Tokyo.
Haryono also said that developed countries
such as Japan can do much by recognizing
South-to-South cooperation as effective and by
providing support to assist this collaboration
among developing countries. Haryono also
expressed his hope that Japan will promote
South-to-South cooperation under its recently
launched Global Issues Initiative (GII) on
Population and AIDS.
Learning Through
Sharing
The efforts of Yayasan Kusuma Buana
(YKB) to share experiences with other
developing countries are being made under the
Indonesian initiative led by Minister of
Population Haryono Suyono to promote Southto-South cooperation. The concept of
exchanging applicable experiences in fields
such as population and family planning (FP)
among developing countries has been actively
promoted by Indonesia. As a result of these
pioneering efforts, a total of nine other
countries have adopted the approach and are
pursuing South-to-South cooperation exchanges
together with Indonesia.
A priority area of the initiative for the
Indonesian government is the exchange of
experiences of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs). A well-established NGO, YKB was
recently selected as one of four NGOs in the
population and FP field to serve as an
international training partner under the Southto-South cooperation scheme. A facility
established by YKB was recently authorized by
the National Family
Planning Coordinating
Board (BKKBN) of
Indonesia to function
as an international
training center.
Various
experience-sharing
activities have already
promoting South-to-South exchanges of FP/MCH experiences.
been conducted by
YKB including some
entrusted by JOICFP. In
charging system for FP, maternal and child
cooperation with JOICFP, YKB has been
health and other preventive health-care services,
assisting representatives from developing
three of YKB’s six clinics in Jakarta have
countries who are sent to Indonesia to learn
about the government and NGO activities in the reached the break-even level. The other three
are expected to be self-sustaining within one to
field of FP. Through BKKBN, YKB has been
conducting “short-day program” training, while two years. Another important aspect of YKB’s
activities is its school health program under
UNICEF China is also utilizing YKB to train
which parasite control activities are conducted
Chinese representatives.
Some of the most valuable experiences that at schools in Jakarta on a fee-charged basis
together with health education. This program is
YKB is sharing with other countries are its
also nearing the break-even point.
strategies for self-reliance. Through a fee-
2
JOICFP NEWSJanuary 1995
Voices
Full Partnership for Women in
Development
Mary Luke, Vice President, Field Programs,
Center for Development and Population
Activities (CEDPA), spoke with JOICFP NEWS
on November 17 about her organization and
issues concerning women. Below are highlights
of her comments.
CEDPA’s mission is to empower women to
be full partners in development. We believe
that women must be the center of development,
not only the beneficiaries.
The way we implement our empowerment
mission is through four primary approaches.
These start with the development of women as
leaders and managers through leadership
ning. We have now 4,000 CEDPA alumnae
worldwide who have participated in our
training programs.
Through USAID funding, we also
implement integrated service programs which
are geared toward women-managed health
services. We usually seek out non-government
al organizations (NGOs) based in the commu
nity that have women as part of their services.
The third approach is building the capacity
of institutions to broaden their services and
programs and to strengthen their systems so
that they are able to fully utilize opportunities
for external funding. We also believe that by
building the capacity of local NGOs we are also
building a foundation for sustainability.
The fourth strategy is advocacy and policy.
We were recently able to bring a group of
women leaders to all of the meetings for the
mational Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD). We wanted to be sure
that inputs into the Cairo Document included
women who were representatives of programs
in their communities. We brought women
managers who have spent years serving their
communities and got them involved in the
policy dialogue at the highest international level
on how FP policy and FP programs should be
implemented for the next decade. That was a
very empowering experience for them.
The ICPD document itself is favorable to
women’s development, women leaders and
training for women, but the challenge is to find
financial resources to make the commitment to
women’s programs on a large scale. UNFPA
executive director, Dr. Nafis Sadik, has talked a
lot about the resources needed to implement the
Program of Action. She’s committed to
ensuring NGOs have access to a percentage of
JOICFP NEWS, January 1995
these resources. It is vital that NGOs have a
share to implement these programs, because
without funds the commitment is only words.
The test of the Program of Action is how it is
implemented. NGOs do not have enough
resources, but women’s NGOs do not have
anywhere near the resources of other NGOs.
The Global Issues Initiative (GII) is a very
important and significant commitment on the
part of the Japanese government. Given the
magnitude of the problem of AIDS and
population growth, it will take more donor
commitment than ever. Given the success of
the ICPD and the new policy based on the
empowerment of women as leaders of
development and importance of NGOs as
designers and implementors of programs, this
UnFPA in
Mongolia &
North Korea
Ian Howie, UNFPA country director, China,
Mongolia and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK), spoke with JOICFP
on November 15 about the UNFPA country
programs in Mongolia and DPRK. Below is an
outline of his comments.
The Beijing Office covers the programs in
Mongolia and DPRK. In both these countries
the UNFPA program plays quite a pivotal role
in their efforts to balance population growth
and social and economic development.
Mongolia’s maternal and child health
(MCH) program is the main fulcrum of the
assistance we provide. We have a large project
there for which we have a number of resident
advisors and experts. The program is working
within the Ministry of Health in an effort to
improve MCH services, particularly focusing
on safe motherhood and support for the birth
spacing program. We also have projects
dealing with population policy and the teaching
of demography and population studies at the
university, and have projects that are supportive
of women and income generation.
3
Mary Luke
initiative takes on even more significance
because it can potentially fund new programs.
CEDPA’s hope as an NGO whose mission is to
ensure that women can participate and attain a
fair share of resources, is that the new initiative
will focus resources on some of these programs
that will be developed and managed by women
and NGOs.
The government of DPRK has had a long
association with UNFPA. Like Mongolia,
DPRK had representatives of ministerial rank at
the recent International Conference on
Population and Development. Also like
Mongolia the statement presented there by the
minister was very supportive of the aspirations
of UNFPA and heralded their achievements in
the health and
population sector
which were
achieved with
UNFPA assistance.
The DPRK
government
recently established
a national
coordinating
committee for
Ian Howie
UNFPA. The
importance of this
development is that UNFPA assistance is now
involved with national planning.
Our second country program in DPRK is
divided into seven projects. The most
important among them is the support we
provide for the North Korean Population
Center. Another important project is one that
we jointly execute with UNESCO at the Health
Education Institute. A third significant project
is the assistance we provide for the Pyongyang
Maternity Hospital.
In the News
International Assistance Catches On
The Municipal Coordinating Committee for
Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA)
chalked up a good year in 1994 for
international assistance at its 20th quarterly
meeting in Ota City, Tokyo, on November 18.
The 14 local Japanese governments and
JOICFP that belong to MCCOBA raised the
target of reconditioned bicycles to be donated
to developing countries before the end of fiscal
1994 from 3,225 to over 4,000.
Behind MCCOBA’s decision to raise the
bicycle donation target was the pledge by the
Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute to increase
its original pledge of ¥20 million (US$196,000
at an exchange rate of ¥102 to US$1) to ¥30
million (US$294,000) to cover shipping costs.
The cost of shipping the bicycles still remains
one of major hurdles to sending the donations
abroad. The local governments also provided
¥14 million (US$137,000) for shipping and
spare parts.
The distribution of almost all bicycles sent
abroad in 1994 has been coordinated by
JOICFP, which is aiming to better utilize space
between shipped bicycles to send other items
abroad such as stationery goods. In 1994,
JOICFP received 163,000 notebooks from an
educational notebook manufacturer and over
100,000 pencils from a trade association of
pencil manufacturers in Arakawa City, Tokyo.
A further 30,000 notebooks were donated by
Toshima City, Tokyo, in 1994.
Another positive development for JOICFP
is the collaboration being extended by the
National Social Welfare Association, a semigovernmental organization covering almost all
3,300 municipalities of Japan. An early
outcome of this new support is the donation of
2,000 ball-point pens by Oita Prefecture and
1,800 pencils from Shizuoka Prefecture.
Another effective means of assistance is
being pursued by schools of Toshima City,
Children at a nursery in Zambia display
donated notebooks and pencils.
which have been donating toys to support
nursery schools established in Tanzania and
Zambia under JOICFP’s Integrated Project.
The toys, rare in the rural communities, are
effective for luring children to nurseries where
they can learn to read and write and where th
health status can be monitored. The nurseries
have also sparked an interest in literacy among
mothers and provided a forum for discussions
on health issues including family planning.
hilippine Project Gathers Steam
The UNFPA-supported Sustainable
Community-based Family Planning/Maternal
and Child Health (FP/MCH) Project with
Special Focus on Women (RAS/92/P11)
received a show of support from local
governments in the Philippines at a ceremony
on November 15. The event, held to mark the
turnover of audio-visual equipment for IEC
activities and basic medical equipment and
supplies, was attended by local dignitaries
including the governor of the Province of
Batangas, the mayors of the two project
municipalities of Balayan and Malvar and
officials of the Department of Health (DOH)
which is implementing the project. Officials of
UNFPA and JOICFP also attended.
Ki
Local officials attend the turnover ceremony
in front of the Batangas Capitol Building.
The items procured by JOICFP with the
aim of improving health facilities at the
community level, were distributed to health
stations at the barangay (village) level and the
rural health units at the municipal level.
Following the ceremony, a tripartite project
review (TPR) meeting was attended by
representatives of the DOH, UNFPA and
JOICFP as well as the two mayors and
representatives of project sites. The
participants reviewed project status, discussed
progress and made recommendations and a
work plan for the following year.
High on the agenda were the capacity
building efforts made at the project sites
including the formation of community-based
committees for project implementation and the
various training programs conducted for health
personnel, volunteers and traditional birth
attendants (TBAs). The participants also
discussed the assessments of barangay-level
health facilities that were used to guide reno
vations and improvements being carried out by
municipal governments and communities.
Looking ahead, the participants stressed
strategies to sustain activities beyond the
project period. The need to further involve the
newly organized women’s groups in health-care
4
Health personnel and volunteers use new
equipment to weigh a baby in Malvar.
activities was also emphasized by the
participants who noted the issue of on-going
training programs for health-post volunteers as
well as the need for training such as mothers’
classes at the community level. The goal of
developing a community-based project and
monitoring scheme with the help of volunteers
was reaffirmed at the meeting.
Very little time was wasted in putting the
procured equipment and materials to use at the
barangay health stations in Malvar and
Balayan. Shortly after the turnover ceremony,
TBAs who has just completed training were
provided with TBA kits. Meanwhile, women
volunteers supported by health personnel began
baby weighing activities and providing IEC
talks immediately after receiving materials
and equipment.
JOICFP NEWS January 1995
Japan
library
AND
aramedics Look Toward
Developing Countries
Japanese paramedics with experience as
volunteers in developing countries provided
practical insights into working in the
international assistance field at the 25th
Seminar on International Cooperation in
Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning
(MCH/FP). Over half of the 19 attending the
seminar had worked in international
cooperation schemes. Six of these participants
A former JOCV member in Liberian costume
introduces her experiences in sign language.
complemented the information provided in the
seminar by sharing their experiences as
members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation
lunteers (JOCV) of the Japan International
cooperation Agency (JICA).
The seminar, held November 28 December 8, was attended by Japanese nurses,
public health nurses and midwives. An annual
event, the seminar is ultimately geared to
preparing participants for overseas service by
deepening their understanding of issues related
to international cooperation and to broadening
technical cooperation channels in Japan to
create a network for international assistance.
The seminar was subsidized by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented
by JOICFP. It was launched in 1972 and has
now been attended by a total of 565 health
professionals. Course leader for the event was
Dr. Minoru Muramatsu, former chairman,
Population Association of Japan. In his
opening remarks, Muramatsu called for
participants to broaden their perspectives
JOICFP NEWS, January 1995
ION
unit
through the seminar.
The paramedics
were introduced to
various aspects of
international assistance
through presentations on
population issues,
volunteer work,
reproductive health,
adolescent health and
view of the seminar participants.
communication
techniques. An outline
was also provided of Japan’s
postwar experiences in the FP/MCH field and
who gave an account of a community’s efforts
the application of these experiences through
to construct latrines.
JOICFP’s Integrated Project (IP).
A lecture provided by Masako Hoshino,
The active contribution of the former JOCV director, Kanagawa Women’s Center, was
members made this year’s seminar a more
particularly rewarding for former JOCV
lively and interactive learning experience. Two member of Laos. Akiko Suzuki. Hoshino was
former volunteers of Malawi provided insights
one of the first volunteers sent abroad by the
into the needs of the community people with a
Japanese government to Laos in 1965. Suzuki,
firsthand description of hospital conditions and
a midwife, was interested to learn the
comments on the need to provide appropriate
similarities between the situation of Laos
forms of assistance that do not hinder the
today with that of 30 years ago. Suzuki
community’s ability to sustain itself. The
commented that the seminar’s focus on
importance of involving the people in health
population, FP/MCH and women provided her
activities to promote their own development
with a better perspective on how to promote
was also noted by a former volunteer of Peru.
international assistance.
Fertility Issues in Japan
“Childbearing within the nuclear family” was the theme of the National Convention of
Maternal and Child Health/Family Planning (MCH/FP), held in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki
Prefecture of Japan from November 15 - 16. Focusing on fertility and MCH issues in
Japan — which is experiencing a falling birthrate and rapid population aging — the event
was attended by 1.500 people from the medical and health-care fields.
The convention, an annual event, was jointly organized by the prefectural government,
Ministry of Health and Welfare. Family Planning Federation of Japan (FPFJ) and Boshi
Aiiku Kai. a prominent MCH promotion organization.
The theme of the convention reflects the concern being shown by prefectural
governments, particularly in rural areas, toward shrinking family size and change in family
structure. Japan’s total fertility rate (TFR) continued to fall in 1993 to hit a postwar low of
1.46, a significant decrease from the TFR of 2.0 in 1975.
The Japanese government has recently developed two major programs in response to
the demographic change. The “Angel Plan” is geared toward creating a more appropriate
environment for couples to bear and raise children, while the ‘‘Gold Plan” strategies are
aimed at coping with the increased number of elderly in the future population.
Welcoming the government's efforts to improve the situation for women to bear
children, participants cautioned that childbirth is still a matter for the woman to decide.
Childbirth should not affect a woman's ability to continue to work or study, it was noted.
5
NGOs in Action
Chinese Team Observes Role of
NGOs in Health Care
A 10-member study team from China led
by Lei Shude, director, Family Planning
Commission of Liaoning Province, was
introduced to Japan’s experiences in family
planning/maternal and child health (FP/MCH)
and preventive health-care promotion during a
visit to Japan from November 10-23.
Of particular interest to the group was the
provided on a mass scale for cost-effectiveness.
Composed of representatives of state and
provincial FP commissions and associations,
the study team was given a broad outline of
Japan’s postwar FP/MCH experiences and an
overview of the concepts and strategies of the
Integrated Project (IP) during the first part of
their visit in Tokyo. The members then traveled
to Fukushima Prefecture on a
field trip for firsthand
observation of health-care
activities.
The main focus of the study
2
tour was the observation of
government and NGO activities.
In Miharu and Ogoe towns, the
team viewed health-care
activities conducted by the
prefectural government and
■
m'C
■ A’ towns in collaboration with
volunteer groups, and observed
health
checkups for infants.
Jpt /
X
™
They also visited the Fukushima
The team observes an infant health checkup in
Health Service Association, a
Miharu Town.
local NGO providing preventive
health-care services on a feeprominent role played by non-governmental
charged basis.
organizations (NGOs) in the health-care field
In Ogoe Town, the team was introduced to
and their close collaboration with the
the activities of two volunteer groups, the local
government. The Chinese were also impressed
nutrition volunteers and the Boshi Aiiku Kai, an
with the high-quality of services provided by
MCH promotion group. The Chinese attended
the NGOs, which maintain self-reliance by
a meeting of these groups where the topic of
charging fees for services that are generally
discussion was improving nutrition to avoid
health problems. They were
also provided with a nutritious
lunch prepared by the
volunteers.
Noting the broad range of
services carried out by NGOs
■-T fn’
including the production of
B
IEC materials, the team
members commented that they
learned much about how to
approach and inspire
community people. In
particular, they noted the
effective use of IEC and the
system of charging fees for
services as good examples to
follow. They commented that
the charging of fees helps
Eleven-year-olds at a primary school receive sex
overcome the issues of service
education in Miharu Town.
continuity and quality of care.
J
JR"
1
6
NgOs Effective
in Mexico
The effectiveness of working with non
governmental organizations (NGOs) to ensure
that official development assistance (ODA)
reaches the grassroots was emphasized by
Alfonso Lopez, executive director, Mexican
Foundation for Family Planning (MEXFAM)
during a meeting with an official of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in Tokyo
on December 12. Noting the important role
that NGOs are playing in the health-care field
in Mexico, L6pez urged that the Japanese
government consider working in partnership
with NGOs such as MEXFAM under Japan’s
new Global Issues Initiative (GII) on
Population and AIDS.
On the same day, Lopez also paid a
courtesy call to the Tokorozawa City Office to
express his appreciation for the city’s donation
of reconditioned bicycles to MEXFAM. The
city is a member of the Municipal Coordinating
Committee for Overseas Bicycle Assistance
(MCCOBA), which has sent over 700 bicycles
to MEXFAM. Lopez met with Mayor Hiroshi
Saito and Deputy Mayor Eiji Takano.
Lopez later traveled to Tochigi Prefecture
where he visited the Tochigi Public Health
Service Association. Lopez expressed his
gratitude to association chairman, Yasushi
Morisawa. for the donation of two
reconditioned X-ray vans, which are utilized as
mobile clinics to provide health-care services in
remote villages in Mexico without doctors. A
third van from the association is scheduled to
be shipped to MEXFAM this April.
While in Tochigi, Lopez also visited the
nursing school of Jichi Medical College which
runs an adolescent health program.
Alfonso Lopez sits with young peer
counselors in Tochigi.
JOICFP NEWS January 1995
NGOs in Action
A Role for NGOs in
Implementation of GH
A Keyword of
Self-reliance
officials of MOFA and the
Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA)
and Overseas Economic
Cooperation Fund (OECF).
The other significant activity
that the ministry has been
conducting under the GII is
the assessment and reporting
of information of priority
country situations.
In the Philippines and
Indonesia, the Japanese
delegates held meetings with
‘-'safumi Kuroki (3rd from right) speaks with representatives of
representatives of the health
Jlippine NGOs.
and related ministries as well
as representatives of local NGOs.
In both countries, the mission received
The Japanese government demonstrated its
enthusiastic responses to the GII.
recognition of the importance of non
The mission was given an NGO perspective
governmental organization (NGO) involvement
in the implementation of the Global Issues
of the population and AIDS situation in the
Philippines and introduced to the activities of
Initiative (GII) on Population and AIDS during
a project formulation mission to the Philippines NGOs by representatives of eight organizations
during a meeting on November 24. While only
and Indonesia in November and December.
25% of family planning services are provided
The first concrete GII activity to be carried out
by NGOs, their role in the population and AIDS
since the initiative was announced in February
1994, the mission was led by Masafumi Kuroki, field continues to expand in the Philippines as
service provision at the local level takes on
director, Research and Programming Division,
greater importance under the country’s policy
Economic Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of
of decentralization. The effectiveness of NGOs
Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and included a
in reaching high-risk groups was also noted at
representative of JOICFP.
the meeting.
The inclusion of an NGO representative
•• ‘'S a first for a government project formulation
Meanwhile, representatives of five NGOs
expressed their desire to actively participate in
jsion and underscored the importance that
FP service provision and AIDS prevention
the ministry is placing on the role of NGOs
under the GII during a meeting with the
under GII. The mission also included other
Japanese mission in Indonesia on
—December 1. Responding to the show
m| of enthusiasm, Kuroki encouraged the
NGOs to seek direct support for their
■
activities through the Japanese
Embassy, which provides Grassroots
Grant Aid to local NGOs. Under this
assistance scheme, Japanese embassies
have been instructed to place priority
on population and AIDS projects, he
explained.
At the conclusion of the mission,
■ W
Kuroki commented that the advice of
NGOs was very valuable and that
simliar kinds of cooperation
Dr. Firman Lubis, executive director, Yayasan
between government and NGOs
Kusuma Buana, Indonesia, explains an AIDS poster.
should be pursued.
Charging nominal fees for health-care
services is an effective means to maintain
service quality and create a base from which to
pursue self-reliance, according to Rolando
Maulion, executive director, Foundation for
Integrated Services on Health and Development
(FISHDEV) of the Philippines. Maulion made
his comments at a report session on the
activities of FISHDEV to representatives of the
Hoken Kaikan Group organizations in Tokyo on
November 1. He was accompanied by Dr.
Vicente Katapang,
director, FISHDEV
Clinic, Manila.
FISHDEV has
been promoting
integrated health
care at the
community level
since it was
established in 1989.
Rolando Maulion
With the assistance
of the Hoken Kaikan
Group including the Family Planning
Association of Japan (JFPA), Tokyo Health
Service Association, Japan Association of
Parasite Control (JAPC) and JOICFP,
FISHDEV set up a clinic in Manila which now
recovers 80% of its funds.
The clinic provides a range of services such
as maternal and child health (MCH) care and
medical services on an individual client basis
and also earns income by providing mass health
checkups to nearby factories. In addition to the
curative and preventive services at the clinic,
FISHDEV also operates health education
programs in Las Pinas and Zamboanga del Sur.
Targeting 10,000 households, the family health
campaigns cover parasite control. MCH. family
planning and environmental sanitation.
FISHDEV also provides training to health
volunteers in the two districts.
Commenting on the contribution of
Japanese NGOs to FISHDEV’s activities,
Maulion noted that the association has
effectively utilized the technical know-how of
the Hoken Kaikan Group to promote selfreliance. He added that support from the Postal
Savings for International Aid scheme
(POSIVA), administered by the Japanese
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, has
also made a large contribution to FISHDEV’s
achievements.
ST-
JOICFP NEWS, January 1995
7
VOICE OF VOICES
By Chojiro Kunii
AHH I
I
A Pioneering Community Doctor
Dr. Toshikazu Wakatsuki, 83, has devoted
his life to improving the health of rural people
as director of Saku Central Hospital in Nagano
Prefecture. A true pioneer, Wakhtsuki was the
first person to establish health-care services to
reach rural populations in Japan.
As a youth I was very fond of literature. I
particularly enjoyed the verse of Manyo-shu, a
collection of ancient Japanese poems written
over 1,000 years ago. I was moved by their
DIARY
timeless quality. They inspired me to examine
the meaning of literature and ultimately look
for a purpose in my own life. I came to realize
that human beings are driven to endeavor in
order to live, and that these very efforts are in
themselves acts of life.
In my quest to find the purpose of my life I
ventured into the world of French literature and
from there into Russian literature. I was
inspired by the works of Tolstoy and Chekhov
and the lives of those depicted in the novels
seemed real to me.
My interest then returned to Japanese
literature. It was by reading early modern
Japanese works written by ordinary people and
known as “proletariat literature” that I became
inspired by the ideals of socialist
democratization. They gave me a whole new
outlook on life.
My reading helped me come to a decision
about what I should do with my life. The year
was 1945, immediately following Japan’s
defeat in the war. After considering how I
could make a real contribution to the process of
rebuilding Japan, I decided to devote myself to
eradicating the rampant problem of parasite
infection. I put my heart and soul into this
work, which I saw as a contribution to Japan’s
reconstruction.
There were a handful of colleagues who
shared my enthusiasm and determination. One
of them was Toshikazu Wakatsuki, who was
particularly devoted to helping rural
populations. From parasite control, the
movement expanded to preventive medicine and
then to family planning. These movements
ultimately helped Japanese people attain the
high standard of health they enjoy today.
o
o
C)
- JOICFP Deputy Executive Director Yasuo Kon
and Program Officer Sumie Ishii were in Indonesia o
C)
to attend the IPPF-ESEAOR meeting for executive
directors from Oct. 3 - 11.
C)
-Program Officer Kiyoko Ikegami and staff
O
member Tetsuo Kato were in Mexico from Oct. 3 , >
16 to conduct a situation analysis survey on
C)
population and AIDS in relation to GII and attended
<)
the Regional IEC Workshop for Adolescent Health
and the National Seminar on Adolescent Health for <)
Mexico. Both later traveled to Guatemala to discuss ()
project implementation from Oct. 16 - 18. They then C)
()
moved to New York where they met with UNFPA
and IPPF-WHR officials.
O
-Dr. Michael Sylla. president and founder. Guinea ()
Development Foundation, visited JOICFP on Oct. 20 o
to exchange information.
o
- Sung-Hee Yun, associate director, Population
C)
Communications Services/Population Information
c>
Programs. Center for Communication Programs,
Johns Hopkins University, visited JOICFP on Oct. 25 o
o
to exchange information. He was accompanied by
o
Paul White, minister counselor for development
cooperation, U.S. Embassy in Japan.
C)
- Twelve participants from nine countries attended 0
the Seminar on Population Aging, held in Tokyo and O
Hiroshima Prefecture from Oct. 18-29.
O
- Haryono Suyono, minister of population,
o
Indonesia, visited JOICFP on Oct. 31 to exchange
o
information on South-to-South cooperation.
Q
- Herbert Chao Gunther, executive director,
Public Media Center (PMC), visited JOICFP on
Oct. 31 to exchange information. He was
accompanied by Jerry Mander, senior fellow, and
Elizabeth Garsonnin. director of broadcast
production, PMC, and Aileen Mioko Smith of
PMC in Japan.
- JOICFP Program Officer Aiko lijima was in
Nepal from Oct. 15 - Nov. 5 to monitor the
Sustainable Community-based FP/MCH Project
with Special Focus on Women and make
preparations for the regional/national workshops.
Program Officer Atsushi Yoshino and staff member
Soon Hee Lee were also in Nepal from Oct. 15 Nov. 5 for the production of IEC materials.
-Ten participants from six countries attended a
one-day seminar at JOICFP entitled Program for
Counterpart Training on Population and Family
Planning on Nov. 8.
-Dr. Noriji Suzuki, professor emeritus, Kochi
Medical College; Dr. Takashi Onogawa, director,
Department 1, Central Research Laboratory, Tokyo
Health Service Association; and JOICFP Program
Officer Yukio Honma, were in China from Oct. 20 Nov. 2 to provide technical assistance under the IP.
-A 10-member mission from China was in Japan
from Nov. 10-23 to study FP/MCH.
- JOICFP Program Officer Ryoko Nishida was in
the Philippines from Nov. 12-24 for a Tripartite
Project Review Meeting for the Sustainable
Community-based FP/MCH Project with Special
Focus on Women.
JOICFP ADOLESCENT
HEALTH SERIES
NEW ANIMATION FILM
MUSIC FOR TWO
13min, color/English, Spanish
The pros and cons of sexual intercourse among
teenagers has already become an issue of the past.
As today's young couples are already leading an
active sexual life, it is crucial to provide them infor
mation and guidance about a responsible sexual life.
MUSIC FOR TWO is the second animated film
in a series jointly produced by Mexico and Japan.
Featuring a girl in pursuit of true love who imagines
a variety of male-female relationships, this film is
supported by an impressive musical score and vivid
colors.
Distributed by
Sakura Motion Picture Co., Ltd.
YOYOGI CENTER BLDG, 57-1. YOYOGI 1-CHOME,
SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO 151, JAPAN TEL.81-3-3320-6311
FAX.81 -3-3320-7666/TELEX.J34799 ITCINBTH
16mm-VTR(Zfeta. VHS NTSC. PAL. SECAM)
Kato's Story Translated for Vietnamese Women
Shidzuc Kato’s personal account of her role in the family planning
(FP) and women’s movements in Japan has been published in
Vietnamese to help encourage women in Vietnam. The Vietnamese
version of the book, Fight for Women '.v Happiness, was published by
Vietnam Women’s Press and distributed to leaders of the Vietnam
Women’s Union attending the national congress in October. The book
was voluntarily translated by a Vietnamese doctor who is working as a
director of a school for children with hearing and speech difficulties.
The school is receiving the proceeds from the sale of book, which is
being sold through Vietnam Women’s Press. The doctor, inspired by Kato’s story of struggle to promote
FP and women’s rights in Japan, received funds from JOICFP for the book’s publication.
8
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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
Hoken Kaikan Bekkati
1-1, Ichigay a Sadohara-cho
Shinjuku-ku. Tokyo 162 Japan
Phone: 81-3-3268-5875
Facsimile: 81-3-3235-7090
JOICFP NEWS, January 1995
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