EU Ups Family Planning Cash to Fill Gap Left by US
Originally published by Reuters Health, July 24, 2002
LONDON (Reuters Health) — The European Commission on Wednesday said EU member states had approved a 32 million euro reproductive health programme for developing countries in partnership with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Commission said it was stepping in to fill a "decency gap" left by the US decision to scrap its planned payment to UNFPA of about the same amount.
"The US decision is regrettable and counter-productive," said Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Poul Nielson. "The decision to cut funding to the UNFPA may well lead to more unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and increased dangers for mothers and infants. The losers from this decision will be some of the most vulnerable people on this planet."
Nielson said Europe valued highly the work carried out by the International Planned Parenthood Foundation and UNFPA. "We consider that their efforts in areas such as contraception and HIV/AIDS form part of the solution to challenges in developing countries rather than part of the problem."
He said that most of the 22 countries that would benefit from the programme were among the world's poorest, where maternal mortality ranges from 500 to 1800 for every 100,000 live births.
This programme aims to help countries provide services such as pre- and postnatal care, family planning, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV infection, and advice to young people on avoiding unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.
The Commission said that EU aid for sexual and reproductive health tripled between 1994 and 1998 when 800 million euros were allocated, and reached over 300 million for the year 2000 alone.
The countries that will receive the funds are Burkina Faso, Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Haiti, Jamaica, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Surinam, Sudan, Tanzania, Tuvalu and Zambia.
