As PH hosts Asian RH gab

MDG Countdown: Maternal, reproductive health remain serious concern

By FLORENCE F. HIBIONADA, Philippine News Service (PNS)
November 22, 2010

[ Note: In 2000, the Philippines (Ph) joined 188 countries in a global battle to combat   extreme poverty.  With targets set to be met by 2015, eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were then identified.  Today with 5 years to meet the deadline, concern is highest in the Philippines with MDG 4 and MDG 5 - Maternal Health and universal access to Reproductive Health.  No less than the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have taken the cudgels for the world.  Last September 15 to 17, Philippine lawmakers converged in Manila for the “WOMEN DELIVER PHILIPPINES” conference along with youth delegates from all over the country, international representatives, health policy experts and the media.

This week, the country hosts a 5-day exchange visit among parliamentarians, member associations of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and media practitioners.  With target countries Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia and the Philippines, the visit is aimed at increasing resources for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs here. ]

MANILA  –  Ph and the MDGs.  USA and the MDGs.  The UN.  The EU.  Beyond these alphabet of nations and alphabet of targets as set forth in the global battle against poverty are grim realities and grimmer statistics in the Philippines.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).  The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD).  The Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP).  The Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation (PLCPD).  More ‘alphabet advocates’ with one message – the time is now to invest, understand and embrace the urgent need for Reproductive Health (RH) Bill and for every Filipino and the Philippines to uphold sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Why? Primarily because 11 Filipino women should not die everyday from a treatable complication of pregnancy.  4,950 Filipino babies should not be born everyday to 5,205 Filipino women who get pregnant everyday without intending to.   And everyday too, 1,530 Filipino women should not go into induced abortion.

In the everyday of statistics as sourced from the 2005 UN World Estimate and the country’s 2007 National Statistics Office (NSO) Census on Population, the Philippines have these to contribute to the world – 5.2 million Filipino children are not in school as 30 million Filipinos struggle to survive on a dollar a day or less.

While at it, the “countdown” begins to meeting the targets in 2015.

Is there a reason to take action? Is it time to make serious actions?

In the words of US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton in a previous Women Deliver conference, “The women delivered…it is time the world delivers.”

In the words of Iloilo First District Representative Janette Loreto Garin, “We need to act as a nation.  We need to heed other nations for indeed, women’s rights and children’s rights are the most basic in human rights.”

And there are more “words” to hear.

European Union (EU) Ambassador Alistair MacDonald in an interview expressed grave concern as “there is very very little progress in terms of maternal health.”  The EU Ambassador took special note on how Filipino women are dying as a result of inability to access proper maternal care.

“It is anti-development..having more kids is not helping the Philippines,” Ambassador MacDonald added as he sounded off similar concern for the Filipino fathers.  “What does the father feel when there is not enough money to feed his children?....The European Union’s help..it is not and never about funding…it is about our concern on children dying..mothers needing help…..and it is up for the Philippine Congress to decide..we respect that….This is a question of national policy and not a doctrine.”

Asked on the Philippines’ failure to pass a comprehensive Reproductive Health policy, Ambassador MacDonald chose to be optimistic though.

“It means18 years of building consensus,” he said with a smile.  “It is not up to me…I don’t have a vote but I hope the legislature can have an outcome this time…this is so important for the future of the Philippines.”

Similar sentiments echoed by Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona who has since expressed the department’s agreement that “every pregnancy is at risk and that no woman should die giving life.”

The administration and government of President Benigno Aquino, Secretary Ona stated, is out to save women’s and children’s lives.  As such, he ensured that “universal access to reproductive health is a pillar of the Universal Health Care Agenda of the Aquino Government.”

Further still, the Department of Health (DoH), Secretary Ona said, remains committed to the achievement of MDG 4 and 5 which are to reduce child deaths and maternal mortality in the Philippines.

In fact, he said, critical reforms in the country’s health policies have been effected saying safe motherhood and a healthy childhood “have been the centerpiece of actions and reforms of the DOH in the last three years.”

And there are “bold and explicit” policy in place too, Secretary Ona added, that “mainstreamed the rights of women and children to access critical health services particularly during childbirth.”

To note, the efforts towards MDG realization has since banded governments and advocates with the media playing a cohesive role.

Benjamin De Leon, President of The Forum for Family Planning and Development, Inc. is in the forefront of the media initiative.

In the “Women Deliver Philippines” September conference, The Forum organized a media congress highlighted by De Leon as “an opportunity to talk about the real situation and what we can do about it.”

“We hope to send an even louder message to government that they can no longer ignore our maternal and infant health situation.  For every Congress that ends and for every new administration that gets elected without policies and financial investments for women’s health, thousands of lives have been lost,” De Leon said.

Meantime, the countdown continues and the country hosts the exchange visit of key stakeholders in East and South East Asia and Oceania Region.

Once again series of presentations and discussions will be made on the challenges and impact of SRH advocacy here.  Such as Filipino lawmakers and media representatives meet with foreign counterparts geared towards strengthening SRH programs.

Also set in this week’s visit is a look into the efforts of the Quezon City Government in pushing for Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programs here.