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October 2002 Council Book Explores Improvements in Reproductive Health Care The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, marked a turning point in the history of the population field. Participants recognized the rights of all people to reproductive health and called for special attention to women’s empowerment and a client-centered approach to reproductive health care. The ICPD drew attention to the limitations of demographically driven family planning programs and outlined recommendations in general terms. However, directions for implementation were vague. Hoping to document the response to date, and to provide guidance to those grappling with how best to operationalize the ICPD reproductive health accords at the field level, Nicole Haberland, a Population Council program associate, and Diana Measham, a consultant to the Council, collaborated with colleagues from around the world to develop a series of detailed case studies about noteworthy programs. In April, the Population Council published the results of their work, Responding to Cairo: Case Studies of Changing Practice in Reproductive Health and Family Planning. The book brings together case studies from 18 developing countries that provide concrete examples of successful programs that have been carried out since the 1994 conference. The case studies draw on material from more than 20 programs and projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A careful analysis of the processes involved in implementing commitments made at Cairo, the book provides examples others can follow. Confronting issues as varied as the contraceptive target system in India, gender-based violence in Latin America, and sexuality counseling in Egypt, the authors depict a gradual shift in perceptions, policies, and programs since the Cairo conference. Reflecting some of the main themes of ICPD, part one examines efforts to promote client-centered care in India, China, and South Africa, countries where previous, longstanding national policies led to clear violations of some women’s reproductive rights. Part two takes a detailed look at efforts to reorient service providers toward a more client-centered service delivery. Parts three and four profile programs that broaden the content of reproductive health care to include such neglected issues as sexuality, gender, and partner relations. Finally, part five takes the reader beyond the realm of service provision by examining community-based efforts to empower women and combat violence against women and girls. Nicole Haberland has worked for the Council since 1996, managing programs on married adolescents, power in sexual relations, and social development. She holds a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University. Diana Measham, who has worked with the Council—first as staff, now as a consultant—since 1993, holds a master’s degree in health planning and financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is a doctoral candidate in reproductive epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley. Click for more information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
