Digital Pulse - Ch 3 - Sec 3 - EC/UNFPA Initiative for Reproductive Health (RHI) in Asia

Development Issues: Children, Youth, Rights, Health, Family Planning, HIV/AIDS, Women.

Programme Summary

Reproductive Health in Asia (RHI) works to improve the reproductive and sexual health of people living in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam.

The EC/UNFPA Initiative provides financial support to reproductive health (RH) activities and services in Asia, as a result of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo. What makes the Initiative stand out from other projects and programmes is its main strategy to involve international, regional and local non-profit organisations in its implementation and have these partners work together towards a common goal. With this approach the Initiative hopes to bring RH services within reach of populations in South and South-East Asia that are so far not or under-served. In the context of the EC collaboration with UNFPA, this Initiative represents the largest sum that the EC has yet committed to population programmes.

The Initiative is expected to complement and promote the development of sustainable alternatives to current systems, contributing to a decline in fertility rates and to the decrease of mother and child morbidity and mortality. The different projects are leading to the establishment of exchange mechanisms between several organisations, facilitating a synergy of actions. This strategic approach is expected to have a multiplying effect on sustainable RH initiatives. Selected projects are expected to contribute to the:

• Development of local and private capacities for improved management of RH, integrated within primary health care services and a better quality of services;
• Promotion of community participation and local activities;
• Promotion of gender equity and equality, development of actions targeted at vulnerable groups and most deprived populations;
• Coherency of national policies and strategies.

Summary of ICT Initiatives

In order to assist in the maintenance of linkages between the RHI 60 local partners, 19 European partners, 7 Umbrella Projects, 6 UNFPA Field Offices and UNFPA itself in Brussels, the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) has designed special concept to secure communication within bigger RH networks: "The Information and Communication Network" (ComNet). The RHI ComNet has enabled the sharing and exchanging of specialist knowledge through the publication of guides and the implementation of workshops on the subject of how to deal with the press and media as well as how to carry out advocacy work. A press tour also served as a useful advocacy tool, highlighting the implementation of individual projects in project countries. Initiated and implemented since its launch by DSW, is divided into three main areas, which embody the aims of the ComNet [click here for more information]:

Capacity Building - ComNet has implemented a variety of training activities in the fields of advocacy, media and IT, thus helping to ensure the sustainability of its RHI partners. One of the main features of the ComNet has been the Capacity Building workshops and accompanying guides (subjects include Media, IT, and Advocacy training). All workshops cover a specific area of capacity building and have taken place in most RHI countries. More than 250 participants from all RHI partner NGOs have taken part in these training sessions.

Communication Platforms - Over the course of the Initiative, the ComNet has developed and sustained its methods of communication, thereby guaranteeing the continuous exchange of information between all partners of the RHI, and allowing the promotion and support of South/South and South/North collaborations. ComNet operates four electronic mailing lists:

• The News List (journalists, decision-makers and interested individuals and organization)
• RHI parasol List (umbrella projects within the RHI)
• RHI Mailing List (all agencies and partners of the RHI)
• Gender Mailing List

Visibility – The development and strengthening of a corporate identity. Experience has shown that an initiative that speaks with one voice, attracts greater and more varied media attention than individual efforts from project partners. In pursuit of promoting the visibility of the RHI, the ComNet has developed various publications in order to keep RHI partners and other organisations in the picture regarding the latest developments.

• Four newsletters have been produced to date. Most of the articles were written by local journalists or RHI partners in the field.
• Eleven Fact Sheetshave been published since the initiative's launch. Written by experts in the field, the Fact Sheets have proved especially popular amongst journalists as a useful source of information.
• The Annual Reports 1999, 2000 & 2001 All 42 projects of the EC/UNFPA Initiative for Reproductive Health in Asia (RHI) - how they have developed, information concerning their background as well as the finances of this unique Initiative, are charted in the Annual Reports.

All RHI publications have adopted an instantly recognisable style. It is imperative that publications that are used as visibility tools have a uniform design, thus creating a corporate identity for the RHI.

Observations

Several reports on lessons learned during the implementation of regional projects have been made available by RHI and DSW in a PDF report. These reports reveal the effectiveness of Quality of Care programs and the impact that Internet Education materials can have on reproductive health campaigns.

Partners: The Commission of the European Union (EC), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and, except for in Bangladesh, the execution of individual projects lie in the hands of altogether 21 European operational partners, and the implementation of the project activities are overseen by local partners. Projects in Bangladesh are executed as well as implemented by local partners.

Source:Letter from Caroline Kent and the RHI web site.

For More Information Contact:

Caroline Jane Kent, Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW),

Goettinger Chaussee 115, D - 30459 Hannover - Germany

Phone: +49(511) - 9437319

fax: +49(511) - 9437373

caroline.kent@dsw-hannover.de