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I. Letter from Arlette Campbell White, Senior Population Specialist
Dear Friends,
This is the first 2003 fiscal year issue of the newsletter. To begin, I would like to thank the Population and Reproductive Health team members as well as our course alumni and trainers for their invaluable contributions to our programs in FY 02. It is thanks to the team spirit and high professionalism of all involved, both organizers and participants, that the P/RH program is as successful as it is. I look forward to the beginning of this new fiscal year and all the events and learning programs that are already in preparation. We are forming new regional programs in Latin America and in Anglophone Africa as well as designing a global dialogue on selected RH topics in Asia. In addition, we are planning to strengthen our focus on Adolescent Health through a special series of activities in Africa. We are also pleased to continue to offer customized training event for UNFPA, as well as two new courses for WHO Staff. In this issue we include articles, announcements and readings on Adolescent Health as well as on HIV/AIDS as it relates to the work that our team members are doing on this crosscutting theme.
Hope you are all having a good summer. Regards,
Arlette Campbell White and the Adapting to Change Program Team
II. Staff Announcements
We were very grateful to receive your notes of welcome to Ms. Laurence Sage, the new editor for the newsletter. Please keep your comments coming, we enjoy receiving your feedback.
We are happy to announce that Ms. Mariama Diallo has joined our team as knowledge intern and Uma Setty is our intern for the summer. Ms. Setty is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Policy at the University of Chicago and is working with the Health and Population Team on a variety of projects including the needs assessment survey for past participants of the core course. Ms. Mariama Diallo is currently a junior at George Mason University working on her B.S. in Management Information Systems and Decision Sciences. She joined the Adapting to Change Program as a Knowledge intern in mid-May and since then, has been involved in numerous projects such as CD-Rom development for the upcoming Course in Italy.
III. Feedback from the Second Francophone Course: « S’adapter au Changement: Population, Santé de la Reproduction, Réforme du Secteur de la Santé »
The Second Francophone Course, entitled « S’adapter au Changement: Population, Santé de la Reproduction, Réforme du Secteur de la Santé », was organized in partnership with the Francophone Africa Population and Reproductive Health Network and took place in Dakar, Senegal, from 10 to 22 June 2002. It brought together 28 participants from the health sector, representing Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The course was based on a participative pedagogical method (practical case studies, country experience discussions, etc) and provided participants with opportunities to fully discuss the challenges of implementing reproductive health programs within the context of health sector reform. Importantly, attendees made a commitment to act as agents of change in their respective country’s health sector growth and progress.
IV. Feedback from the First face to face Francophone regional Course on Gender, Health and Poverty: - “Genre et Santé : Nouvelles orientations pour les stratégies de réduction de la pauvreté.
Having delivered two distance learning courses on Gender, Health and Poverty through a series of eight video conferences plus on-site learning activities, we held the first face-to-face Francophone regional course entitled “Genre et Santé : Nouvelles orientations pour les stratégies de réduction de la pauvreté" which met with resounding success. The event took place from 24 to 28 June in Dakar, Senegal, for 38 participants from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Senegal. The participants represented NGOs, governments, international agencies and universities. Teaching methodology included case studies, small group exercises and presentations by video conferencing. Parallel to the course, a panel discussion was organized by the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) and the Family Health International offered information on the female condom.
V. The Fourth Adapting to Change Global Core Course on Population, Reproductive Health and Health Sector Reform, Turin, Italy, 19-30 August 2002. Now accepting names for the waiting list.
The Fourth Adapting to Change Global Core Course on Population, Reproductive Health and Health Sector Reform will take place from 19 to 30 August in Turin, Italy, at the ILO Training Center. The goal of the training is to improve population and reproductive health outcomes in developing countries by strengthening the skills and capacity of key actors to make their population and reproductive health programs more efficient, equitable and financially sustainable. The course objectives are to increase participants’:
- -understanding of how the changing international and national policy environment impacts on their work in population and reproductive health;
- -knowledge and skills that they will use to deliver population and reproductive health services in their country in more efficient and equitable ways;
- -strategic thinking and ability to ensure that health sector reforms help rather than hinder improvements in population and reproductive health outcomes in their countries; and
- -capacity to develop action plans that apply course material, knowledge and tools to an issue they face currently in their work.
The course is designed for senior government officials, particularly from ministries of Health, Education, Women’s Affairs, Labor, Population and Welfare, and Finance and/or Planning, as well as representatives of NGOs, private sector organizations, the donor community, Bank staff and others working in the field of population, reproductive health and health sector reform. The fee for the two-week course is US$1,500, and participants are expected to cover the costs of their own round-trip ticket to Turin, Italy. They are also responsible for room and board expenses at the ILO Center, estimated to be approximately US$1,200.
Applications received after July will be considered but may be placed on a waiting list depending on the space available. To apply for the Adapting to Change Global Core Course 2002, please download, print and fill out the application form and fax or mail it to Ms. Laurence Sage, Admissions Officer, World Bank Institute, 1818 H Street, N.W., MS J2-200, Washington, DC 20433, Fax: +1-202-676-0961. Please see the course brochure for additional information, including financing information, logistics regarding arrival in Turin, housing, visa request procedure, vaccinations, medical insurance, venue, etc. You may also address any questions to Laurence Sage at lsage@worldbank.org. or Nicole Fults at nfults@worldbank.org.
VI. Health Outcomes and the Poor : Pilot Peer review of the Internet Based Course
From 17 June to 5 July the Health and Population Program conducted a highly successful pilot of the internet based course "Health Outcomes and the Poor". Twenty four experts/participants from WHO, UNFPA, World Bank and various institutions in Africa and Asia took part in the launch of the first module of this course. The overall course objective is to improve the health of the poor and vulnerable through analytical work that leads to pro-poor policies, actions and expenditures. The operational objectives are to assist PRSP authors to improve the analysis and the policies in the health sector; and PRSP reviewers to advise authors on how to improve the quality of health inputs into PRSPs. The additional objective for this peer review was to get feedback on the first module of the course in terms of content, process and design.
The majority of the participants completed the assignments and the quality of the submissions was generally high. The course material and structure were well received although some participants asked for additional supplemental materials. The course was highly grounded in an "Action learning" format such that, during the course, participants were asked to apply the concepts learned to their own work situation, either in terms of writing an actual PRSP or advising the authors of PRSPs in their country how to improve the PRSP. The next steps will be to incorporate the feedback we obtained into the existing module and develop the remaining modules. We plan to have the full course ready for roll-out in early 2003. For more information, please contact jhindriks@worldbank.org
VII. LAC Network news : The launching of the Adapting to Change Program in the region
The LAC Partnership has now identified the institution which will host its Secretariat. FUNSALUD, (http://www.funsalud.org.mx), based in Mexico City, will join forces with the Population Council to lead the process of launching the Adapting to Change Program in LAC. FUNSALUD was selected by the funding agencies (Pan American Health Organization, UNFPA, World Bank) among six institutions which had replied to our call for expression of interest. The Secretariat will be expected to rotate after a few years, and FUNSALUD will work at building the capacity of other institutions to eventually take over that role. The leaders of the Secretariat are Gustavo Nigenda, Director of FUNSALUD and Ana Langer, Regional Director for LAC, Population Council. The first activity organized by the Secretariat will be a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Partnership, in October 2002. This will be followed by a Training of Trainers and Curriculum Development event and a pilot course for 6 countries in the region, to be held in early 2003, most likely in Panama City.
VIII. Procurement of Health Sector Goods Course
A course, entitled “Equipment Procurement Management”, with a one-week optional segment on Procurement of Health Sector Goods, will be jointly delivered by the International Training Centre of the ILO and the World Bank's Operational Core Services Network - the Procurement Policy and Co-ordination Unit (OCSPR) in order to assist borrowers’ staff in planning and executing procurement of supplies and consultancy services in IFI-funded projects. The dates of the one-week segment are: 14 to 18 October 2002. The course is also a stand-alone program for participants who are already familiar with the World Bank’s procurement guidelines, and aspire only to reinforce their competencies in the specifics of procurement operations for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, etc. Topics such as procurement of condoms and supply chain will also be addressed.
The course will include a special one-day series of presentations on procurement issues related to HIV/AIDS, which will be delivered by WHO technical experts in collaboration with the Global HIV/AIDS Unit of the World Bank. This module will cover such topics as: drug treatment guidelines; financing and pricing of drugs for HIV/AIDS; Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), antiretrovirals; and Quality Assurance.
For more information, contact: Ms. Teia M. Thompson-Brown at: TThompsonBrown@worldbank.org You may also contact the course manager, Mr. George Jadoun at the ILO in Turin.
IX. Adolescent Health and Development in Africa (AHDA)
A) Adolescent Health and Development in Africa: A one day dialogue of partners and youth.
The connection between adolescent health and development is a growing concern. In response, on 26 June the World Bank organized a four-hour dialogue via videoconference with 11 Anglophone Africa countries, followed by a face-to-face meeting in each of the three countries at which the local implications were discussed. The event was also an advocacy initiative to solicit greater commitment and support for adolescent health and development programs.
The outputs were the creation of a list of critical issues in adolescent health and development; a commitment to increased collaboration and focused action among key partners; a proposed agenda to realize AHD targets within the WB Millennium Development Goals (MDG); and the identification of first steps toward strategic actions and activities on adolescent health and development.
Top leaders participated in the discussions along with policy makers and other development partners. Representatives from the UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, USAID, UNAIDS, private foundations, embassies and other organizations working in the area of adolescence health attended and gave an outline of their plans for their respective countries and the African region.
B) Marie Stopes International expands sexual and reproductive health services for young people through its global network.
X. Leadership Program
A) Fighting the HIV/AIDS Pandemic through Information and Strategic Communication: An Integrated Training Course for Program Teams and Journalists.
Through an innovative design of bringing together two separate target audiences, communicators and journalists, parallel courses were launched in June via distance learning on Fighting the HIV/AIDS Pandemic through Information and Strategic Communication: An Integrated Training Course for Program Teams and Journalist. The courses are offered to five African countries—Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia—through the Global Distance Learning Network.
The courses are run jointly for the first two sessions and thereafter separately, until they rejoin for the last session in October. In between, participants will have worked on their communications strategies and supporting media articles in-country, and facilitated face-to-face workshops will be held for teams in Malawi and Uganda. The course is helping NGOs and ministries incorporate elements of effective communication into their programs, such as public service messages broadcast over radio, television, and in print media. WBI is assisting media professionals in covering HIV/AIDS not simply as a health problem but as a threat to all their countries’ development objectives.
The Institute is also working with members of local communities, civil society, the media, and government, on finding ways to combat the persistent stigma attached to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. HIV is sometimes referred to as the "silence virus" because of a virtual censorship on speaking openly about the virus. This is a deadly silence. It has crippled previous attempts to help people understand HIV/AIDS and how to prevent themselves from contracting HIV. Said Timothy Carrington, who manages WBI courses for media professionals, "In a situation where there is neither a vaccine nor a cure, the role of communication is very important. Effective communication and correct information can help more people avoid the devastating effects of this disease."
Quote from Ajuba, Nigeria facilitators:
“The participants are now equipped to their work as journalists covering HIV/AIDS, not as a health issue but as a development crisis. They actually understood the message which will be useful for them in their future editorial functions.”
Quote from External Affairs Officer, Mr. Obadiah Tohomdet:
“Congratulations for a job well done. From my observation, the course has been worth while - both the media and the project courses. There was steady attendance by the participants and attention paid to the lectures. For the first time, I noticed that behavioral change and crafting of "Take Away" messages were well understood by the participants in Strategic Communications. This shows that the resource persons did their work very well. We will continue to cherish your input as the participants undertake their projects as well as put into practice what they have learnt. I want to commend those who worked behind the scene for the success of the course”.
Future courses are planned for South Asia in the autumn, and Eastern and Central Europe in winter. For more information contact Tim Carrington at tcarrington@worldbank.org
B) Senior Policy Seminar on AIDS in Sri Lanka, ‘Options for Implementing an Effective Response’, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 14 to 18 June
More than 70 national and provincial permanent secretaries, regional directors, physicians, representatives of chambers of commerce, NGOs and the international donor community came together for a high level senior policy seminar organized by WBI to support the Government’s forthcoming multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS Prevention Project due to be launched in early 2003.
Sri Lanka, a country with a prevalence rate of less than 0.01%, nonetheless takes the threat very seriously, recognizing that the country has all the risk factors in place that could facilitate a rapid spread of the disease if appropriate measures are not taken in time.
For the majority of the participants from the health sector, it was the first time they had had the opportunity to discuss the issue with colleagues from non-health sectors. The first day, of high-level advocacy and a call from the Prime Minister’s Office to provide the leadership necessary to combat the disease, was followed by three days of highly effective discussions, case studies and capacity building activities developed through participatory methodologies unfamiliar to many of the participants.
For additional information contact Arlette Campbell White at awhite1@worldbank.org
C) Human Capacity Development for an Effective Response to HIV/AIDS, 4-5 July 2002, Barcelona, Spain
This two day conference was established for persons interested in learning about Human Capacity Development and applying it in their local AIDS programs. For additional information on the event, please see the following site link: http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/healthandaids/
XI. Needs Assessment Survey: A participatory process.
The Adapting to Change Learning Program on Population, Reproductive Health and Health Sector Reform is conducting a needs assessment survey of past participants who have taken the core course. The purpose of this survey is to give our alumni the chance to voice their opinion about the future direction of our program and will help us build a community of practice that will assist all of you with the work you are doing in your respective countries. Our goal is to continue the learning process; we believe that through ongoing learning activities we can achieve a higher level of understanding about population and reproductive health issues. If you are one of our past participants, it is important that we receive your completed survey quickly because, based on the responses we get, we will design new and more in-depth training for ex-participants of our courses.
The needs assessment survey is attached. It is very short and will take only a few moments of your time to complete and send back to us. Please fax or email it back to Uma Setty, WBIHD (FAX: 1-202-676-0961 or EMAIL: usetty@worldbank.org) as soon as possible. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and we look forward to receiving your responses as soon as possible.
XII. Announcements and New Readings
A) UN Population Fund and The Development Gateway Launch Portal on Population and Reproductive Health. New Internet Initiative to Strengthen Knowledge Sharing and Exchange
In April, The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Development Gateway Foundation launched the POP/RH Portal, an Internet initiative focusing on population and reproductive health. The Portal provides a community-built database of shared population information, including data, research, projects, ideas and dialogue. It also seeks to promote innovative knowledge-sharing arrangements among expert organizations in the field.
The POP/RH Portal (http://www.developmentgateway.org/pop) is built in collaboration with 12 partner institutions from the population community, linking to resources on their websites and to those of other population and development organizations. It covers the key topics and actions identified in both the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) convened in Cairo in 1994 and the 1999 United Nations General Assembly special session which reviewed implementation of the ICPD.
With the launch of the POP/RH Portal, the UNFPA becomes the first United Nations agency to establish a topical website within the Development Gateway system. UNFPA will manage and “guide” the Portal with technical support from the Development Gateway team.
The Development Gateway Foundation (http://www.dgfoundation.org) is an independent, non-profit organization built on public-private partnerships, launched initially with support from the World Bank. Its broad mission is to promote the use of ICT for poverty reduction and sustainable development, and help overcome the “digital divide” in practical and dynamic ways. The Development Gateway Portal (http://www.developmentgateway.org) seeks to facilitate access to information and knowledge on development and poverty reduction, and provides a space where people can share experiences on development.
For more information please contact:
UNFPA: Susan Pasquariella, tel. 212-297-4968; email: pasquariella@unfpa.org
David Rose, tel. 212-297-5068; email: rosed@unfpa.org
The Development Gateway: Connie Eysenck, tel. 202-473-1884; email. Ceysenck@worldbank.org or Sid Kane, tel. 202-473-4185; email: skane@worldbank.org
B) China’s new strategy on family planning
Dr Zhao Baige, head of the State Family Planning Commission of China, discusses China’s new strategy on family planning and the Chinese government’s determination to move away from its previous, coercive one-child policy. Despite economic and social development and a fall in the birth rate, China still faces a population growth problem, explained Dr Zhao. “The Chinese government is therefore continuing to advocate that a couple have only one child, but this policy varies in rural areas and among ethnic minorities, where more children may be permitted.” But the law, Dr Zhao added, no longer prohibits.
For additional reading and more information, contact Marie Stopes International at diana.thomas@stopes.org.uk
On 6 March 2002 the European Parliament Working Group on Population, Sustainable Development and Reproductive Health (EPWG) launched the Marie Stopes International (MSI) publication on Reproductive Health - The briefing pack at the European Parliament in Brussels. The briefing pack brings together the latest policy, facts and case studies on reproductive health from around the world. It is designed for parliamentarians, policy-makers and agencies, and assesses the progress in reproductive health as we approach the 10th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 2004.
The briefing pack comes in the form of 12 two-page fact sheets, making the information quite accessible for busy people, and is available in English, French, German and Spanish.
Contact Ms. Karen Harding (karen.harding@stopes.org.uk) to receive copies and in which languages.
C) The Population Council's Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program
(FRONTIERS) is pleased to announce the release of five new publications that discuss key findings from recent operations research on youth, integration of family planning and HIV prevention, access and sustainability, female genital cutting, postpartum care and postabortion care: - *Youth Centers Have Limited Reach -This study in South Africa found that more than half of the youth center visitors were sexually experienced, but visiting a center had little discernible effect on reproductive health knowledge or safer sexual behavior (ORS #23):
- *Providers Should Encourage Sexually Active Youth to Use Condoms - The study in South Africa reveals that although many sexually active youth are knowledgeable about the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS, they do not use condoms consistently (ORS #24).
- *Community Sensitization Must Precede Alternative Coming-of-Age Rite - This study in Kenya found that where cultural support for female circumcision is weakening, communities are more likely to accept sensitization messages encouraging abandonment of the practice and to participate in an alternative coming-of-age ceremony for girls that does not involve genital cutting. However, such alternative ceremonies must be preceded by extensive sensitization that changes attitudes and must be tailored to fit cultural norms for rite of passage (ORS #27).
These are the latest in a series of publications from on-going operations research in 29 countries worldwide. To obtain copies send an e-mail to Ms. Laura Raney at lraney@pcdc.org For a list of all publications, and to download PDF versions of these and other publications, please see their website at: http://www.popcouncil.org/frontiers/ Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) is a global program funded by USAID that uses operations research in family planning and reproductive health to test alternative approaches to service delivery for the purpose of improving delivery systems and/or influencing related policies.
D) Population Action International is pleased to announce a new report on seven countries' approaches to the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people.
E) Useful websites:
Worldpoplist: A Group of European NGOs for sexual and reproductive health and rights, population and development supported by Population Action International (PAI) http://www.populationaction.org
AIDS2002 Conference
Barcelona, July 7-12, 2002 For a full listing of articles from AIDS2002, please go to
http://www.hdnet.org/
F) Library:
Below please find the link to the library. You can find in our library many documents which can be searched by author, title or keywords here
G) Population and Reproductive Health Discussion Forum
Due to a large number of vacationing staff, the July/August session of the Discussion Forum is also on vacation.
XIII. Participants feedback
On the Adapting to Change core course:
“The course that I attended at WB was really great for me. Since that time we have done a lot of work i.e. mid-term review, financial and management risk analysis and others that will have to be done in the fall (political, economical, etc) I realize that my vision is more macro and that more training would be required to support a more extensive input and impact in the planning of CIDA-HNPSP-SWAp II, in Bangladesh. Please inform me for other accurate training in health & population sector.” Regards
Janik Bouchard, Canada
ACDI/CIDA
“…In fact, as one of the participants in the first course I can say that I took a lot of advantage in attending this and the course helped in my career. At the present I am a Hubert Humphrey Fellow studying at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore in a program on Drug Abuse Prevention and Research. Recently I discussed with some researchers about the opportunity to make a study about STIs and drug use among people at risk in Romania. So, I didn't forget to link the present studies with my previous training. I would like to wish you good luck with your fourth course.” Cristina Padeanu – Romania,
Hubert Humphrey Fellow
Johns Hopkins University
XIV. How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
Please circulate this message to other interested people and encourage them to register for their own copy by sending an email to join-reprohealth@lists.worldbank.org. This newsletter, as well as previous issues, is also available on http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/healthandaids/
Thank you for your interest in the Adapting to Change and Gender, Health and Poverty Programs. This newsletter is published bi-monthly. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send them to lsage@worldbank.org.
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