UNFPA against abortion / Asian Eye on its 10th year

UNFPA (called UN Population Fund, but formerly known as United Nations Fund for Population Activities) denies the allegation made by Reproductive bill objectors or pro-life groups that it supports abortion as a family planning method. Having attended the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo and several population conferences, as well as my being a staunch believer in the RH bill pending in Congress, I am aware of UNFPA’s position against abortion as a contraceptive measure.

The agency adheres to the ICPD Programme of Action, which states that “Governments should take appropriate steps to help women avoid abortion, which in no case should be promoted as a method of family planning, and in all cases provide for the humane treatment and counseling of women who have had recourse to abortion” (Section 7.24).

Further, it declares, “in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning. All Governments and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are urged to strengthen their commitment to women’s health, to deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family planning services” (Section 8.25).

It is not UNFPA’s business to change the illegal or legal positions of countries on abortion, as that is the sovereign preserve of each country. But it condemns coercive abortion and abortion for sex selection.

UNFPA reports show that about 13 percent of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortion. Its impact on women’s health, lives and well being should be addressed, as agreed at the ICPD. Post-abortion care should be provided, and where abortion is legal, it should be safe, as stated in the ICPD Programme of Action.

Reports also state that the high level of unmet need for quality family planning methods, especially among the poor results in a high rate of unwanted/unplanned pregnancies. (In the Philippines, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey show that one out of three pregnancies are unplanned.) “With these high unplanned pregnancies, many women would resort to unsafe abortion, thus increasing the risk of maternal death. One way that UNFPA addresses the problem to prevent abortion is to support governments’ efforts at implementing an effective reproductive health and family planning program.”

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On another matter, UNFPA, through its executive director, wrote an official letter to the Chinese government, saying that it does not support limiting couples to have one child each. The letter said, “Advocating one child per couple . . . (is) contrary to the principles of free choice in the matter of family size as expressed in the ICPD Programme of Action . . . The Fund does not support any measures . . . which are not in line with the principles of the ICPD. Paragraph 7.12 states: ‘the principle of informed free choice is essential to the long-term success of family planning programmes.”

Several independent third parties, such as a May 2002 blue-ribbon commission sent by the US State Department, have documented UNFPA’s campaign against the one-child policy. It reported that UNFPA had informed Chinese authorities it found: “advocating one child per couple . . . contrary to the principles of free choice in the matter of family size as expressed in the ICPD’s Programme of Action.”

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Congratulations to Asian Eye Institute, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last week. The institute’s success, according to Oscar M. Lopez, Asian Eye chairman, is on account of its taking to heart the Lopez Group of Companies’ (of which he is chairman emeritus) rule of excellence being “an art won by training and habitation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

This habitual excellence is demonstrated by AEI’s accomplishments. It’s the first ambulatory health facility to achieve triple ISO certification in 2006. A few weeks ago it obtained international health care accreditation from Accreditation Canada International, based on standards of excellence approved by the International Society for Quality in Health Care. Then it achieved the Platinum level award, reflecting a deeper commitment to quality and patient care.

More awards have been received: the Trusted Brand Award from Reader’s Digest, which selected Asian Eye as top brand of choice for eye center in the Philippines; the Lopez Achievement Award for clinical research team; and awards to the doctors for outstanding research papers from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology.

AEI was born ten years ago out of a friendship between Dr. Felipe Tolentino, a top opthalmologist and retinal specialist at Harvard, and Lopez. As AEI president and medical director from inception until 2007, Tolentino’s “expertise and persistence guided Asian Eye on its steady course to become a world-class center, comparable to those in the U.S., “ Lopez said at the anniversary party. He also ticked off names of public-spirited businesses and individuals who helped build an eye center that could offer high quality care to Filipinos without them having to leave home.

 Lopez praised the doctors who had the best medical training in Harvard, but chose to come home and take their chances with Asian Eye. Also given awards were the eight pioneer employees.

Lopez himself scales heights through his simple formula of preparation patience, persistence, discipline and stamina. He has climbed the highest peaks in the Philippines: Mount Pulag in Luzon, Mount Kanlaon in the Visayas, and Mount Apo in Mindanao. Earlier this year, at age 81, he climbed, together with his family and Lopez Group executives, Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, the highest peak in Southeast Asia.

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FPTI (Forecasting and Planning Technologies, Inc.) is presenting a special discovery session on its latest gallery of business applications and mobile analytics on October 5 at the Bahia Room of Hotel Intercontinental, Makati. Among the afternoon’s speakers are FPTI’s president and chief executive officer Lofreda “ Dada “ Del Carmen and Gian Amurao, FPTI’s director for business development.

Attendees will be provided unique and innovative business solutions critical in measuring an organization’s performance in the achievement of their sales, distribution and financial goals.

An IPad 2 is up for grabs for a lucky participant. For inquiries and reservations call: 0971435 local 121 / 8995834 or go to fpti.com.ph/spte/registration.aspx for free registration.

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My e-mail: [email protected]