The Road To Toronto – Civil Society Must Advocate For Women and Girls at HIV/AIDS Review
May 30, 2006
This week, an unprecedented number of civil society participants will have the unique opportunity to raise their voices at the five-year review of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS). As HIV/AIDS increasingly impacts women and girls, it is imperative that civil society members, in partnership with their country delegations, take full advantage of their participation in the UNGASS review. We urge them to advocate for inclusion of strong language in the final outcome document that highlights sexual and reproductive health and rights as integral to the success of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care worldwide.
Congressional Action Needed on Contraceptive Supplies
May 22, 2006
In 2001, President Bush's spokesperson affirmed that the President "knows that one of the best ways to prevent abortion is by providing quality voluntary family planning services." Since then, however, Bush's press secretaries have refused to confirm the President's position on contraceptives, and new White House press secretary Tony Snow proved no different last week during Q & A with reporters. With the President remaining silent, PAI calls on Congress to demonstrate its support for reducing the high rate of unintended pregnancies in the developing world – which often lead to abortion – by supporting greater access to contraceptives and quality voluntary family planning programs.
A statement from Amy Coen, President/CEO of Population Action International (PAI), applauding House reversal of President Bush's cuts to international family planning:
May 19, 2006
In a significant rebuke to the Bush administration, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations today approved a fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill that rejects the administration's steep proposed cuts in international family planning and reproductive health programs. If the cuts had been adopted, U.S. efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality, unintended pregnancies, abortion, and sexually transmitted infections would have been greatly impeded.
Governments Must Prioritize Mothers' Lives 365 Days a Year
May 15, 2006
Mother's Day comes and goes each year, but in order for the world's mothers to truly lead healthy and productive lives, improving access to maternal and child health care – including access to modern contraceptives – must be on the forefront of governments' agendas year-round.
U.S. Policies Undermine Family Planning Programs in Ethiopia
May 8, 2006
For many Americans, Ethiopia conjures up images of impoverished people – 44 percent of Ethiopians live below the poverty line and half of all children under age five are stunted from lack of nutrition. What is less understood are the factors contributing to this dire situation. One of these factors is a shortage of modern contraceptives: Couples who are unable to plan and space their pregnancies often must support very large families on limited resources. Unfortunately, U.S. policies are hampering the effectiveness of family planning programs in developing countries such as Ethiopia and limiting the supply of reliable contraceptives.
PAI Releases First High-Resolution World Map of Future Population Growth and Decline
May 1, 2006
Pockets of rural Africa, Latin America and Asia are likely to lose population in the next two decades despite generally increasing density in these regions, a new map of projected future population increase and decline suggests.
The Road to Toronto – Condone or Condemn?
May 1, 2006
PAI praises Catholic Church leaders visibly supporting condom use to prevent HIV transmission, and hopes that public support of their recent statements – along with findings from the Vatican's current study on condoms and HIV – will prompt the Vatican to consider developing an official policy advocating condom use for HIV prevention.
Connecting the Dots: Voluntary Family Planning, Population, and the Environment
April 24, 2006
Millions of infant deaths can be avoided worldwide with better family planning, according to the authors of a study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association that demonstrates the benefits of birth spacing on infant health. Given the well-known positive effects of birth spacing on maternal health, along with women worldwide increasingly indicating their desire to control the timing and number of their children, PAI calls on the U.S. government to strengthen support of voluntary family planning programs by increasing funding and releasing them from onerous and unnecessary restrictions.
The Road To Toronto – Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Strategy to "Save" Lives
April 17, 2006
PAI commends the development of a promising new comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment that incorporates Safer practices, Available medications, Voluntary counseling and testing, and Empowerment through education (SAVE). Given the findings of a recent report by the independent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) – which illustrate that current U.S. prevention strategy leaves countries unable to responsibly address the specific needs of their epidemic – PAI calls on the Bush administration and Congress to consider the breadth of the SAVE approach when developing a more scientifically sound and comprehensive prevention program.
Voluntary Family Planning Programs Linked To National Security
March 27, 2006
The Bush administration's recently revised National Security Strategy (NSS) – the blueprint for U.S. management of major security-related challenges worldwide – cites the critical role of "foreign assistance to support the development of free and fair elections, rule of law, civil society, human rights, women's rights, free media, and religious freedom." Ironically, the President's 2007 budget request will ultimately cut voluntary family planning programs that are increasingly recognized by defense and intelligence analysts as linked to U.S. national security.
