March 2012's Edition of
POPULATION ONLINE
Brings you stories on...

• War on Contraception Continues on the Hill, in the Pulpits, and in the States
  After protests over the Obama administration's mandate that religiously affiliated employers (including Catholic hospitals, schools, and universities) cover contraception in their health insurance plans with no co-pay, President Obama, along with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, announced an "accommodation" to the mandate. The President made it clear that he was not willing to compromise the health of those women who want access to contraceptives, and under the new rule, religious institutions with religious objections are allowed to opt-out of covering contraceptives, but the participating insurance company would be required to offer such coverage. The compromise was greeted warmly by many, including many Catholics, but the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops continued to cry foul.
• President Obama Releases His Proposed FY2013 Budget
  President Obama, as part of his proposed budget request for fiscal year 2013 (FY2013), called upon Congress to restore funding for international family planning and reproductive health to the FY2010 level. This is good news for the 215 million women in developing countries who need access to family planning services and information. The President's budget for FY2013 asks for $642.7 million, a 5 percent increase that includes $39 million for UNFPA. The President's budget reaffirms his strong support for international family planning. The Administration’s budget reduces funding for other areas of bilateral foreign assistance, including other health-related programs, but in view of the critical importance of family planning, the Administration emphasized that it was important to reverse the recent cutbacks in funding.
• Secretary Clinton Testifies on Behalf of the International Affairs Budget
  Secretary Clinton testified before both the Senate Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs on behalf the of international affairs budget. Secretary Clinton laid out the five goals of the Obama Administration in the international affairs budget, including a goal of elevating development to the same level of diplomacy and defense. Included in that goal are programs like the Global Health Initiative that, in part, is aimed at improving maternal and child health, including funding family planning. During the Senate hearing Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) asked Secretary Clinton about funding for international family planning. The Secretary gave a strong response about the importance of fully funding family planning programs, and cited improved maternal and child health as one of the reasons. Secretary Clinton went on to say that family planning is the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy and abortion.
• Asia-Pacific Region Making Gains against Poverty, but other Millennium Development Goals Still Out of Reach
  A new assessment from the United Nations indicated that while countries in the Asia-Pacific region have already met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the incidence of poverty (people living on less than $1.25 per day), "shocking" numbers of children continue to die before their fifth birthday and thousands of mothers die unnecessarily in childbirth. In 2010 more than three million children died before the age of five. Less than three years remain to achieve the MDGs and without further assistance, some countries, particularly in South Asia, are unlikely to reach the MDGs related to hunger, and child and maternal mortality.
• Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index Launched
  On February 28, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women launched the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), a first-of-its-kind index that seeks to "directly capture women's empowerment and inclusion levels in the agricultural sector." The WEAI is the result of a partnership between the Obama administration's Feed the Future Initiative, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). The index focused on five areas: (1) decisions about agricultural production; (2) access to and decision-making power over productive resources; (3) control over use of income; (4) leadership in the community; (5) and time use. Women are considered to be empowered if they have adequate achievements in four of the five areas. The index has been piloted in three countries so far: Bangladesh, Uganda and Guatemala.
• UNFPA Launches Interactive Map of Global Fistula Care
  Heralding it as the "largest and most comprehensive map of available services for women living with obstetric fistula," UNFPA, along with Direct Relief International and the Fistula Foundation, launched the Global Fistula Map on February 28. Every year there are an estimated 50,000-100,000 new cases of obstetric fistula worldwide. With this map, which details over 150 health facilities providing fistula care in 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, UNFPA hopes to enhance fistula prevention and treatment efforts worldwide. The map also provides information on other development indicators, including the lifetime maternal mortality risk and the percentage of births not attended by skilled health personnel.